


Payment in Blood

by SpyroForLife



Series: Payback [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Character Death, Dark!Dipper, Explicit Sexual Content, Gore, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strong Language, Violence, and later, manipulative relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 00:59:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 36
Words: 98,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3509267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyroForLife/pseuds/SpyroForLife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper and Mabel Pines have always been able to get out of bad situations. But eventually, they get into one so bad that it takes a certain dream demon to rescue them, and his services are not free. And the payment he asks for will change their lives forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How to Track Your Dragon

It's been five years since the Pines Twins first spent a summer in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, and they still have not learned all its secrets. They've searched and learned and questioned, but still there was always something new to find. And Dipper Pines would not be satisfied until he found all of it.

“C'mon, bro,” Mabel complained as she followed her brother through the woods, ducking as he shoved thorny vines and branches out of their way, though how he did this with his face buried in that book, she'll never know. “We've been out here for hours.”

“No, we're getting close, I can feel it,” he replied, finally looking up from the book to give her a grin. “In fact, with it getting dark out, we have an even better chance of finding one! They're nocturnal, remember?”

“Yeah, and now they're gonna be awake and ready for breakfast. And I know they'll go for me first because you're so skinny and pale you look like an unappetizing breadstick.”

Before Dipper could come up with a retort for that, his sister had skipped in front of him and gave him a solid smack to the stomach.

“Mabel!” He cringed and rubbed his stomach while she laughed. Then she plucked the book from his hands and began reading it.

“This isn't even one of the author's entries, is it?” she asked, examining the decent but not as detailed drawing of a creature with huge, bat-like wings.

“Well, no, it's one of mine. This is Journal 4, remember?”

“Oh, right. Your compilation journal.” She handed it back, and he tucked it under an arm. “How is that coming along?”

“Great. Everything in the other three have been combined into it, and lately I've been writing my own info about stuff. I saw this creature a few nights ago flying over the Mystery Shack, and decided to come find it. Just to make sure it's what I think it is.”

“And what do you think it is?”

“A dragon!”

“A dragon? Now we've found some weird things, but...”

“A wyvern, to be specific,” Dipper continued, showing her the drawing. “See? No front legs. It only had wings and two back legs. Well, I guess it might have had front legs, but they had to be held really close to its body for me to not see them. But come on, look at the shape of the head! The tail! It has to be a wyvern!”

Mabel was unsure, but then again, this was Gravity Falls. If there are gnomes and zombies and mermaids and bears with multiple heads, then there could very well be dragons. And dragon-like creatures. She certainly wasn't going to rain on her brother's parade. “Well, okay. But what are you gonna do if we find it? And it's hungry?”

“We run as fast as we can,” Dipper said cheerfully.

“What? That's not-”

“I have a can of bear mace in my backpack. It'll blind anything. Oh, and a taser, but I'm not sure how effective that'll be... But hey, don't worry about it. We'll be fine. I just need to get a glimpse of it.”

Well, it wasn't the most dangerous thing they've ever gone after. Mabel remembered with revulsion the gryphon of last summer. It had almost taken her arm off before Dipper leapt onto its back and gouged a pocket knife right between its wings. It had decided to leave them alone after that. It was a shame they lost the knife, though.

They began walking again, Dipper looking at the ground and surrounding trees for hint of draconian presence, though Mabel wasn't sure how he knew what to look for. He was going off his own conjectures, and while she trusted his judgment, his research could have been completely false. Not many people have actually met dragons, after all. So there wasn't much accurate data on them.

But Dipper was optimistic. “Okay, now I really think it went this way. See those big claw marks on the trees? It might have perched on them. Unless those are from those giant fruit bats. But then the marks wouldn't go so deep.”

Mabel felt her foot land in something soft and sticky and immediately yelped, hopping back.

“What?” Dipper whipped toward her. “Did you see something?”

“No, I stepped in a pile of poo!” she yelled. “Oh, ew!” She began scraping her shoe against the grass, shuddering. At least she had forgone her usual cute flats n' leggings combination in favor of hiking boots and jeans. And to think she had almost chosen to be cute for this trip...

“That sucks. Wait, poop?” Dipper came over to look, and she wrinkled her nose.

“It's not that spectacular, really.”

“I can use this for tracking! It's stool, it has a ton of information if you know what to look for!” He knelt down to examine the pile, and Mabel went to find some leaves to clean her boot off with.

“Gross,” she commented.

“This is pretty excessive for most woodland creatures,” Dipper commented. “I don't think deer leave piles like this. Or even moose. And it's shaped wrong...”

“You spend a lot of time looking at poop, Dipper?” Mabel teased.

He scoffed. “You can't be picky about the clues you look at. Anything can give you answers.”

“Uh-huh. So what's this saying?”

He stood. “I don't recognize it. It came from something huge, though. And judging by the smell, something that eats a large quantity of meat. Could be from the wyvern.”

“Or a really really REALLY big bear,” Mabel suggested.

“Bears actually eat a diet of mostly berries, leaves, and other plant material. Honey if they can get it. They won't turn down a fish, but they aren't strictly meat eaters. Except for polar bears, but those shouldn't be around here.”

She shoved him with her shoulder. “Fine, a really big snake, then! Or maybe there's a lion here, ya never know.”

“Heh, yeah. I wouldn't be surprised. Though cats have pretty recognizable droppings, and that pile definitely didn't come from any sort of cat. It was like... lumps. Just large, randomly shaped lumps. I could see bones and stuff in there. Made me think of an owl, kinda. So something that flies, I'm thinking.”

“It was a giant bird. We've solved the case.”

Dipper laughed. “Hey, remember that flock of giant birds we saw two years ago?”

“We saw? You mean that we stumbled right into the nesting grounds of and startled them so they all took flight at the same time and the combined wind from their wings knocked us over?”

“Yep.”

“Yeah, those were cool. I still have one of their feathers!”

“I'm so glad they weren't birds of prey.”

“Me too.”

They laughed, and Mabel gently took the journal from Dipper to flip through. “Hey, look at these guys.” She showed him the Leprechaun page. “We haven't met them yet. You think there are any around?”

“Maybe. But then again, Grunkle Stan probably would have driven them off so there wouldn't be competition for gold.”

She giggled. “Probably. Maybe if we go far enough away we could find one.” She turned the page. “Ooh, fairies! Hey, we met them!”

“Yeah, we did. Back in our first summer, right near the end.”

“Oh, they were so pretty. And strangely murderous.”

“...Oh yeah. They did try to kill us, didn't they?”

“Yep. But they were pretty bad at it. I mean, they're tiny so they couldn't really hurt us... But gosh, they were mean.”

“I don't blame them, humans have pretty much ruined their forests.” Dipper caught a low noise and stopped, throwing out his arm to halt Mabel.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Ssh.” Dipper stood perfectly still, listening.

After a few moments, he heard the noise again. A soft rustling, the sound of wood bending... it sounded like something moving in the trees. He snuck closer to the source of the noise, tilting his head as he did his best to track it.

Mabel held his hand as she quietly followed, looking around. But the Sun was setting and it was getting more and more difficult to see.

For a few minutes, they crept past trees and bushes, and saw more evidence of the area being disturbed. Broken tree branches littered the ground and many of the trees had grooves scratched into them. Then Dipper stepped on a bone, the resulting crack making both of them jump.

They looked down and saw that he had placed his foot down on top of a deer carcass, breaking through its ribcage. Mabel gasped and backed away, and he pulled his foot out, kicking the bones in disgust. They clattered across the ground, sounding much too loud in the otherwise quiet area, and Dipper realized something. Usually there would be birds chirping, insects buzzing, and other assorted nightly noises. But even those had stopped. And have been gone for quite a while. As if something was scaring them into silence.

He squeezed Mabel's hand and slowly turned to her, and if her wide eyes were anything to go by, she had come to the same realization. But before he could speak, there was an ear-piercing roar, so loud they had to cover their ears.

Leaves rattled, and then a beast launched itself out of a tree, soaring toward them on huge wings, mouth open. Jagged, blood-stained teeth glinted from its maw.

“Look out!” Dipper grabbed Mabel and yanked her back, throwing her in one direction while he leapt in another. The monster's reaching head missed them by inches, but the draft from its wings sent them tumbling to the ground. It flapped and screeched, turning sharply and landing, the ground shaking as it did.

The two scrambled to their feet, Dipper protectively shielding Mabel behind him, staring at the creature. It was a wyvern, all right. Huge and scaly, with big yellow eyes and slitted pupils, a forked tongue, and sharp teeth. Its neck was long, meeting a strong torso, with bat-like wings that possessed wicked claws on their thumbs. These claws were currently being gouged into the ground, and the creature's spiny tail snapped back and forth with agitation.

“Do you think dragons eat humans?” Mabel whispered.

Smoke curled out of the wyvern's mouth, and it sniffed loudly, before opening its mouth wider, hissing.

“I'm gonna take that as a yes.” Dipper began backing up slowly, keeping his eyes on the wyvern, but not making eye contact. He didn't want to anger it even more. “Mabel? Can you, very slowly, get the mace out of my backpack?”

She hesitated, but reached up to unzip his bag. The wyvern growled at the noise, taking a few steps toward them. She gasped, clutching Dipper's shoulders, but it didn't come any closer. It seemed intrigued by them. They were different from its usual diet of woodland animals, after all. She felt him tap her with the journal, and took it, stowing it away in the bag. Then she stuck her hand in, feeling around for the mace.

“It's in a can. A cylinder, should be in the main pocket.”

“Yeah, I think I got it.” She closed her fingers around cool metal and extracted it. Sure enough, it was the mace. “Want me to use it or give it to you?”

“I'll do it.” He took it, and she zipped the bag back up.

The wyvern seemed to decide that it wanted to taste them, because it began following them, saliva dripping from its mouth.

“Get back, you overgrown lizard!” Dipper held the mace out at arm's length, made sure it was pointing at the beast, and sprayed it.

When it made contact, the wyvern roared and reared back, closing its eyes tightly. Armored eyelids deflected the rest of the mist, though its face was still coated, forcing it to inhale the chemical as well.

Its wings came back down with a crash, and it shrieked at them, head coming down to rub frantically at the ground, snorting and sneezing.

“I think that just made it angrier,” Mabel said.

“It's distracted, run!” Dipper clutched her wrist and ran, desperate to put as much distance as he could between them and the wyvern. In his haste, he dropped the can, but that was fine; he had probably emptied it with that attack.

They could hear the pained bellowing behind them, and then the distinctive sound of it taking off.

“It's chasing us!” Mabel shouted as the sound of cracking and rushing air approached them.

“It won't be able to move as quickly in the air, the trees are too thick here,” Dipper replied. “Just keep running!”

Luckily, they had both become excellent at running over the years. If they wanted to, they could probably both be track stars. They had the endurance and speed for it. Being chased by dangerous supernatural creatures did that.

“It doesn't care about the trees, it's plowing right through them,” Mabel pointed out.

“We'll be fine!” Dipper was trying to convince himself just as much as her.

Minutes passed, and they could sense it getting closer and closer. They were just barely keeping ahead of it, and they knew it would overtake them soon. And they couldn't keep up this speed forever; they were both growing tired. It hurt to breathe. And to make things worse, the trees were thinning out.

A shadow passed over them, and in the next moment, the wyvern descended upon them. Its legs reached out, sharp talons spread, and it screeched victoriously.

“Mabel, look out!” Dipper turned and tackled her, milliseconds before those claws would have grabbed her. She hit the ground, and he cried out in pain as one talon nicked the side of his head. He fell down next to her, groaning and pressing his palm to his head. It was bleeding.

“Dipper, are you okay?” Mabel asked with concern, sitting up and trying to look at it.

“I'm fine, just... we need to-” Dipper abruptly stopped talking, getting up and pulling Mabel to her feet as the wyvern landed and stalked toward them. Its eyes were open but bloodshot, and it did not look happy. If it had any qualms about eating them before, those were clearly gone. They had attacked it. So now it was going to fight back.

Mabel glanced at Dipper, searching his face for a solution. “What are we going to do now?”

He inhaled deeply, lifted his hand to touch the gash on his head, and sighed. With a defeated expression, he turned to her, and spoke the words she hardly ever heard him say. “I don't know."


	2. A Debt Owed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos so far! That really helps motivate me. :) Feedback is greatly appreciated.

It felt like the world had screeched to a halt. He didn't know? Dipper Pines _didn't know_?

Mabel stared at him. “Bro, you always have an answer!”

He closed his eyes. “No, I thought I always have an answer, but I don't! I got us into this situation because I didn't think about the consequences and now we're cornered by a dragon and it's going to kill us!”

She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. “No, you'll think of something. You always do.”

The wyvern lunged, and they leapt back, but it managed to close its jaws over Mabel's arm. She yelped and tried to yank it away, but the beast refused to let go, dragging her closer to it. Its teeth had already broken through her sleeve and the surface of her skin, and blood was running down in streams, staining her sweater.

Dipper's hand dropped to his pocket, taking out a knife, though he wasn't sure what good it would do, while Mabel pounded on the wyvern's snout with her fist.

“Let go of me!” she yelled at it. “Now!” She stuck her fingers up its nostrils and shoved, and its mouth flew open as it hissed. She pulled free and stumbled back, cradling her arm and tugging up the sleeve to check the damage. A neat row of puncture wounds covered her arm, blood dripping out even more quickly, but she seemed to shake off the pain and stood up tall. Before Dipper could move, she punched it solidly in the mouth.

The wyvern growled and snapped at her, and Dipper jumped into action, stabbing it between the eyes with the knife. Or at least, he tried to. The blade sank in partway before the thick scales stopped it, and with a simple toss of its head, the monster both dislodged it and smacked Dipper in the face, and pain exploded in his skull as he was thrown back.

Mabel helped him up, but as she was turning back to the wyvern, it swung its wing at them, and the thumb claw slashed across her chest, easily cutting through her sweater and laying open the skin. She gasped and fell back, managing to land on her hands, but she didn't get up right away. She clutched her chest, sobbing as the agony briefly overwhelmed her.

“Don't touch my sister!” In a protective rage, Dipper recovered his knife and jumped onto the wyvern's head, trying to stab it in the eye. He wasn't quick enough; an eyelid came down and blocked the blade, and it swung its neck around. Too late, he saw the tree hurtling toward him, and then he was slammed into it.

He felt his back pop, and the pain in his head intensified, blinding him for a few moments. His grip loosened, and he fell to the ground. He felt a weight come down on him, and faintly realized it was the wyvern stepping on him. Not crushing him, but pinning him. Its snout was against his stomach, his chest, snorting and nipping, and he knew it was going to eat him. He wasn't even dead and it was just going to start eating. And he was too weak and dizzy to stop it. But... he finally had an idea.

“Mabel,” he called.

“Dipper, I'm coming!” she replied, and he heard the wyvern howl at her. It reminded him of a hawk warning off other birds.

“No, stop!” He managed to open an eye, seeing her just out of reach of the wyvern's neck, fists clenched. He could also see its wings open, possessively furled over him. “If we keep trying to fight it will just kill both of us. But... you could run now. You could run and get away while it's focused on me. In the time it'll take it to kill and eat me, you could be safe.”

“I'm not letting it eat you!”

“Then you'd rather we both die!” he shouted.

Her hands unclenched, and tears streamed down her face. “N-no, I don't want either of us to die!”

“Well, there's no avoiding it.” Dipper grimaced as the wyvern bit into his leg, tugging on it. “Just go.”

“Dipper...”

With the last of his strength, Dipper grabbed a stick and threw it at her. “Get out of here!”

She stepped back, an anguished expression on her face, and said, “I... I love you, bro...”

Heart breaking, he choked back, “I love you too. And I'm so... so sorry it came to this.” He could feel tears dripping down his own face now, but didn't bother to wipe them off. “I never should have gone looking for this- aagh!” He jerked and screamed as the wyvern tore a chunk of flesh off his leg, and Mabel jolted as if shot, hand reflexively grabbing her own leg.

The taste of blood seemed to reassure the wyvern that this was food like any other, and it swallowed and went for another bite.

“Tell everyone I love them!” Dipper cried, pressing his arm to his mouth to hold in another scream as the wyvern yanked roughly on his leg, as if trying to tear the entire limb off.

Mabel sniffed and nodded. “I... I will... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...” She turned to go.

And then all the color in the area vanished and was replaced with gray, and very familiar laughter echoed around them.

“As much as I love a noble sacrifice, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to interrupt.”

The wyvern's head jerked up, Mabel stopped, and Dipper even pushed himself up on an arm.

“Bill!” he shouted.

The triangular demon had indeed manifested above them, twirling a cane and looking just as chipper as he always has. “Hey, Pine Tree,” he called. “Boy, what a situation you've gotten yourself into this time. Ya know, I told myself I would just leave you guys alone, but... well, look what happens when I do.”

“Can you get out of here? I'm trying to die with dignity,” Dipper scowled. “I don't need you here cracking jokes about it.”

“Oh and it is a noble death, but it's not gonna work.” Bill waved a finger at him. “Mabel's gonna run and the wyvern is gonna snap you up in about three painful bites, and chase her. It'll take her down because she's already getting woozy from blood loss and also she's exhausted from the previous run, and then your sacrifice would have been for nothing.”

“You don't know that, it could take its time with me,” Dipper snapped, and the wyvern seemed to like that idea, because it bit into him again.

Bill spoke over his scream. “Oh, I do know that. And as much as I would love to watch you two get eaten, I've grown kinda fond of you. So I'll have to put my foot down. Hey, lizard!” He smacked the wyvern with his cane, and to Dipper's and Mabel's surprise, it actually let go and looked up. “Yeah, you! These two are mine! Back off!”

The wyvern whimpered and lifted its foot from Dipper, submissively stepping back.

Mabel ran to Dipper and pulled him into her arms, and the two watched in shock as Bill hovered close to the beast and yelled at it, waving his arms and lighting his hands up with blue fire every so often. He wasn't even speaking English by this point, but another, much older and darker language. The wyvern opened its wings and took off, flying away.

Bill clapped his hands together. “Well, that takes care of that.” He turned back to the humans and lifted his eyebrow at their confused expressions. “I rule this forest, kids. Nothing backtalks me around here. Not even dragons. Or dragon relatives.” He flew down and stood next to them, reaching out a hand to Dipper. “Now let's see the damage...”

Dipper smacked his hand away. “Don't touch me!”

“Hey, I saved your life! Show some respect!”

Dipper glared at him, crossing his arms, but let him come closer.

Bill examined his leg and said, “Looks pretty bad. It'd take a long time to heal on its own. Luckily we're in the Mindscape right now and guess what I have unlimited power in?” Blue energy covered his hand, similar to the fire he favored, but more of a glow than a flame. It looked comforting, actually.

“Wait.” Dipper pulled his leg back, wincing. “You're not just doing this for free. You're going to want something. And I-”

Bill put his hand on Dipper's leg anyway. “We'll discuss that later.” The energy pulsed along the skin, and the tears closed, fresh skin replacing what had been lost, blood being wiped away.

Dipper found himself relaxing, sighing with relief. “Oh, that's... better. Wow.”

“I'm not fixing your clothes, though.” Bill pulled his hand away. “That's on you.” He reached up to heal the cut on Dipper's head, then turned to Mabel. “Your turn.”

She hesitated, but leaned toward him. He first grasped her arm and healed it, then placed his hand gently on her chest, fixing that wound.

As it closed, Dipper said, “Okay, now what do you want?”

“Why Pine Tree, I'm offended that you would even think I'm doing this for my own personal gain. You don't think I'm rescuing you out of the kindness of my heart?”

“Hell no.”

“Hmmph. Ya know, you really aren't stupid, are ya? Okay, you got me. I didn't save you just to do it.” Bill began hovering again, watching them stand up. “You both would have died if not for me. There's no changing that. In fact, one could say you were almost fated to die here in these woods, as a result of Dipper's incessant curiosity.”

Dipper inhaled sharply.

“But I prevented it. So you owe... lemme think, seventy years? Eighty years? Maybe more to me. Each of you do. So that's two lifetimes, pretty much. Heh, you two are in my debt.”

The twins were outraged.

“You saved us just so we would owe you?” Mabel demanded.

“Yep,” Bill said cheerfully. “Clever, isn't it? You know how useful humans are? And to have a couple of them indebted to you... oh, the possibilities are endless.”

Dipper moved closer to him. “What do you intend to do with us?”

“Oh man, I don't even know where to start. See, you two have one thing I don't. The ability to exist in reality. So I could use you to get into reality myself. All it takes is possessing one of you. And once out... oh, the things I could do. There are so many humans out there I don't like. I could finally get rid of them. I can only do so much to people from inside the mind. I can drive them insane, sure. But sometimes... I just really want to kill them. Make them suffer. And now I have four hands I can do that with!” If Bill had a mouth, he would be grinning. But even without one, the twins understood his expression perfectly, and it scared them.

“You're going to enslave us, aren't you?” Dipper asked. “Force us to... to be your slaves for the rest of our lives. Right?”

“Right on the money, kid! Just like me.” Bill chuckled. “But hey, I'm generous. I can tell you don't want your dear sister being involved in any of that. You want to protect her in any way you can. That was obvious from your attempted sacrifice. And I don't blame you...” He ran his hand under Mabel's chin in a gesture that was almost affectionate. “She is a sweetheart.”

“I'd kill you if I could, Bill!”

“Oh, what a delight.” He pulled his hand away. “So how about a deal? For one time only, I'll give you half off. Two lives saved for only one life given back. One of you will be my servant, and the other can walk free. They can live a life of innocence and keep their sanity and morality intact. The other... well, let's just say they'll have a long, exciting life ahead of them.”

Dipper and Mabel looked at each other. Dipper started to speak, but Mabel interrupted. “No. I know you're going to try and do your whole sacrificial lamb thing, take the deal to protect me, but no. I'm not letting you do this alone. Bill's going to make you do awful things. I know he is. I don't want you having to go through that alone. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you were out there hurting and killing people on his orders, and I'm just sitting cozy at home. It's going to be horrible, but I'm going to be there with you. I'll serve him too. It won't be as bad if we're together.”

“No, I can't let you do that.” He brushed some of her hair back behind her ear, frowning at her determined expression. “Mabel, come on... it would destroy you. He pretty much said he's going to make us kill and torture people. I... I don't want you having to do that, when you have so much potential for a great life. Remember your goal of being a fashion designer and famous artist? You can still do that! But you won't be able to if you're Bill's slave. And think about our family, how hard it would be for them to lose both of us... one of us needs to be able to go home.”

She stared at him firmly. “Then let it be you. You've sacrificed so much for me over the years. I need to start giving it back. Let me be his servant. I want to protect you this time.”

He knew he was about to start crying again. “Sis, you... you've already done so much for me... you don't have to do this.”

“But I want to. I've always found the bright side of things, right? Well...” She smiled. “Maybe there's a bright side to this too. I just gotta find it.”

“Have you made your decision yet?” Bill asked. “I haven't got all day.”

The twins nodded, looking sadly at each other. Mabel said, “Yeah, we'll take that half off deal.”

“Good choice!” Bill held out his right hand, blue fire erupting around it. “Which one of you is doing it?”

Mabel closed her eyes and sighed. “I guess it's gonna be-”

“Me.” Dipper took Bill's hand and shook.

Mabel's eyes flew open. “No!” Her mouth gaped open as she saw the flames surround Dipper's hand. She punched his chest. “No, I was going to!”

“Sorry, but it's for the best.”

Bill laughed as he let go of Dipper's hand. “Oh, fantastic! I'll admit, it would have been fun forcing sweet little Shooting Star to maim and murder, but Pine Tree... you have so much untapped potential. I was hoping it would be you. You're going to learn things you never imagined, kid.”

“I'm sure I will,” Dipper muttered.

“Ah, don't look so depressed. It won't be so bad, you'll see! You get to spend time with me and I can teach you my ways, and your sister can live a fulfilling life without being tainted by darkness.” Bill looked very pleased with how it worked out. “You two run along and get cleaned up. And Pine Tree, I'll be back to talk to you very soon.”

Dipper nodded. “Okay.”

“I can't wait to get started. Bye!” Bill disappeared in a bright flash of light, and the two jerked awake, seeing color return to the world around them, though it was hard to tell in the dark.

As they picked themselves up off the ground, Mabel gave Dipper a hurt look. “I can't believe you did that.”

“I had to. I don't want him corrupting you.”

“But I don't want him corrupting _you_!”

Dipper looked at her sadly as they began the walk back to the Mystery Shack. “Mabel... let's be honest. I think we both knew it would always be me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork used is by IvyDevi on deviantART


	3. Easy Start

When the twins finally stumbled into the Mystery Shack at about 10 PM, Grunkle Stan was waiting for them.

“There you two are! What took you so long?” he asked, immediately looking them over for any injuries, as he did every time they came back from the woods.

“It took us a while to find the wyvern,” Dipper said as Stan examined his torn pants.

“So you did find it?”

“Yeah... well, it found us.”

“I can see your clothes are a bit ripped up, and it looks like there's a bit of blood, but... I don't see any injuries. How'd you get away from it?”

Dipper hesitated, not sure how to explain what had happened. Luckily, Mabel was a quick thinker. “It was awesome! It flew at us and Dipper just sprayed it with bear mace! And when it landed he gave it the classic right hook to the face and it flew away!”

“Now that's my nephew!” Stan clapped Dipper on the back. “Fighting back! Great work!”

“Yeah. Yeah, it was nothing,” he agreed.

“But be more careful, okay? Not every monster out there will be stopped with a right hook.” Stan pushed lightly at Dipper's back. “Now go on, run up to bed, you two. Shack opens at the same time as always tomorrow, you don't wanna be tired while you're working.”

“Of course not,” Mabel said. “C'mon Dip, let's go.” She led the way to the staircase, swiping Waddles off the living room floor as she went. The old pig happily snuggled against her.

They parted at the top of the stairs. With age (puberty led to some awkward situations) they had decided to use separate rooms. Mabel had claimed the spare bedroom and Dipper kept the attic. There were plenty of nights when they decided to have slumber parties, of course, but usually they slept apart these days.

Before Mabel disappeared into her room, Dipper called out to her. Once she looked at him, he said, “I'm really sorry about earlier. I know you wanted to do it for me. But... I just think it's best if you get to be the one to live a normal life.”

“I understand why you did it,” she replied. “But it won't be a normal life without you in it.”

“I'm sure I'll still be able to see you. I doubt Bill will make me be by his side 24/7. It'll work out. Just... we'll stay optimistic. This has to be better than death.”

“I guess. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Mabel went into her room and Dipper went to his. He closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes, then crossed the room to his desk, draping his jacket across the chair. Too tired to take off anything else, he went to flop onto his bed, sighing and resting his face against the pillow. He knew he would fall asleep in seconds, mostly because a certain dream demon wanted to speak with him.

Sure enough, he felt his body relax, and then heard the demon's voice.

“All right, you made it home without any further mishap.”

Dipper looked up, noting how everything was in grayscale except for the yellow triangle glowing nearby. “Yeah, what a surprise. So, let's talk about this servitude thing.”

“Getting right to the point, eh? No pleading or stalling. I like that. Okay, the servitude thing. Well, it's very simple.” Bill came to sit next to him, lounging back on an arm. “I ask you to do things. You do them. Think you can handle that?”

“What kinds of things?”

“Oh, nothing hard! Especially not with those delightful violent instincts humans have. Most of you keep them buried deep inside, but it's so easy to bring them to the surface. You may have sentience but you're still animals, and you're predators at that. I'm gonna be using that aggression to my advantage. See, I have enemies. People who I've dealt with in the past who thought they could get away with failing to uphold their ends of the bargains. Now, you've seen enough movies about this. What happens when you break a deal with a demon?”

“Usually the demon violently murders you. Or eats your soul or something. Maybe both.”

Bill patted his arm. “Exactly! Now, you may have noticed but I can't exactly do that. I can absorb a soul that's released through death, but I can't just take it. I can't physically touch people unless I'm possessing a body. So I need you, who exists in reality, to kill these people for me. So I can get what they owe me.”

“I'm sure you could have contracted this job out to other humans.”

“Sure, but then I'd have to give them something for it. And I don't like most other humans. You, I like. And I've already paid you. You're just paying me back.”

“For the rest of my life.”

“Yep. Kinda like car insurance.” Bill floated back into the air. “So, when do you wanna get started?”

Dipper sighed and shifted to lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. “I don't know. Preferably never.”

“Well you know that ain't an option.”

“I mean, I've fought with people, and attacked paranormal creatures, but... killing someone? I don't think I could do that.”

“It's hard at first, but you'll get used to it. Heck, you might even start to enjoy it.”

“Ew, no. I would never enjoy that.” Dipper sat up. “Who do you have in mind for the first target?”

“Now that is a hard choice. Most of the people who summon me are from this town and surrounding areas. I'm not as well known outside of it. Well, no, I also get a lot of business from the Middle East and, surprisingly, southern Europe. You know, like Italy and Greece. But anyway, a lot of deals have happened here in good ol' Gravity Falls. And a lot of them were broken. I would do things for people, and they'd never pay me back. And plaguing them with nightmares just isn't fun anymore. So, some death might just get their attention.”

“Huh. Would those broken deals include Gideon?”

Bill scowled. “Unfortunately, no. I'm the one that broke that deal by being unable to bring him the safe combination. And it had to happen anyway for other events to go as planned. But if he had just broken it off before that, then yes, I'd probably want revenge on him too. Why do you ask? Do you want to kill Gideon?”

“Uh... no. He's like, fifteen, that'd make it even worse...”

“Ha, you're gonna be killing youngsters. Age doesn't matter.”

Dipper gave him a horrified look.

“Okay, fine. I'll let those off with a warning. But there will be torture.”

Dipper sighed and put his head in his hands. “Great. Well... I'm gonna have to do this eventually.” He got up. “So, who am I going after?”

“You know what, I'll start you off easy. Get up at midnight and sneak out, and I'll give you some instructions to someone that just needs to be scared into paying what they owe. Then maybe they'll spread word and others will have a chance to do it before I start with the killing.”

Dipper doubted that would happen. People who summoned demons didn't exactly have a social club going on. Or did they? Regardless, he doubted all those people who decided not to fulfill their side of the deals would just suddenly decide to do it. But he agreed. “Okay. Fine, that works.”

“Great. Also do I have your permission to ride shotgun in your head? That way I can still talk to you without having to put you in the Mindscape each time?”

“Knock yourself out.” When Bill looked thrilled, Dipper added, “But no possessions!”

“Sure, sure. Okay, well, I'm gonna go ahead and set your clock for you.” Bill picked up the alarm clock and fiddled with it. “You can finish your little nap and then we can get started.” He set it down, now with a red dot on it that indicated the alarm was on. Not that they could see the dot as red right now. “Goodnight, Pine Tree!”

“Uh... goodnight?” Dipper slowly laid back down.

Bill snapped his fingers, and everything went black.

Next thing Dipper knew, the alarm was going off. He hastily slapped his hand on it and shut it off. It was 12 AM, and he got up, stretching. As he was putting his shoes on, he heard a voice in the back of his mind, almost like a thought, but not his own.

_Is it working? Pine Tree, can you hear me?_

Dipper snorted and said, “Yeah, I can hear you.”

_Oh, good. It's kinda funny. Ya know, the Mindscape exists alongside reality, kinda like parallel universes, except... well, not really. A universe laid on top of a different one. In the same place at the same time. It's hard to explain but basically it's like I'm next to you in my universe and you have no idea. So I'm having to yell at you across the barrier._

“Fascinating.” Dipper went to pull on his jacket.

_It really is, though. I could go into more detail about it with you if you like._

“Maybe some other time.” Dipper zipped the jacket up, and stepped out into the hall.

_Your sister and uncle are asleep. So is the pig, though we aren't worried about him. Now, your target is going to be... well, the name isn't important. It's not someone you know, though you may have seen him just around town. He's actually gonna be walking home from the bar soon, so we're gonna intercept him when he's outside and there's no one around._

Dipper made his way downstairs, making sure he skipped over that one very creaky step. “What did he do?”

_Our deal was simple. He wasn't sure the summoning would even work, but once I arrived he just simply asked for enough money to pay off his bills for the month, he was going through hard times. I said sure, though I'll be providing it in gold, and what does he have to give me? He said that there's this valuable old flintlock pistol in his house that he just doesn't want around anymore, he was going to sell it, but it's made of silver, maybe I'd want that? Well, silver's valuable. I agreed. And then after I'd given him the gold and he had paid what he needed to, he decided to tell me that he misplaced it._

Dipper was well out of the house and down the road by the time Bill was done talking. “Okay, so nothing big. But what would you even do with a pistol?”

_It's not the pistol that's important. It's the payment. The completion of the deal gives me energy. Makes me stronger. Just... it's nice when the items or deeds are valuable. More energy is exchanged._

“I guess that makes sense.”

_Also, you don't have to speak out loud to talk to me. I can hear your thoughts just fine._

Dipper stopped. “What?”

_Yeah, I mean, I am in your head. Just think what you want to say._

Dipper groaned and slapped his face.

_Ow_. 

_You mean to tell me I could have been talking to you like this the entire time?_

_Yep._

_I hate you._ Dipper began walking again.

_Pine Tree, you wound me. Anyway, when we find this guy, you should pull your hood up so you're unrecognizable. In fact, you really should have gotten a mask... but it'll be dark enough that the hood should work. Especially if you throw him into an alleyway or something where there's no streetlights._

The walk into town took about twenty minutes, and by the end of it, Dipper was wishing he had taken the golf cart. Or even his car, though the sound of the engine probably would have woken everyone up. And he's still gonna have to walk back later.

_I'll teach you magic at some point,_ Bill said nonchalantly.  _Teleportation is really useful._

_Uh-huh. Now where is this guy?_

_Keep walking, and you're going to turn onto the second road._

Dipper followed Bill's instructions, until he saw a lone figure walking, or rather stumbling, down the sidewalk. After confirming that it was who they were after, he pulled his hood up and walked faster. His heart was beating quickly with anxiety. How was he going to intimidate this guy? He wasn't that tall, and while he did have some good muscle, he didn't look like he did. And sadly, his voice still squeaked at times.

_You'll do fine. Just speed walk up to him, grab him by the front of his shirt, and slam him against the wall. Tell him that Cipher sent you._

Dipper nodded and sped up more. The man has surely noticed him by now, but didn't seem concerned. Then again, why should he be? This town's crime rate was really low.

So it was a complete surprise to the drunk man when he was seized and slammed against the nearest building, pinned in place by someone who was shorter and skinnier than he was.

“How you doing?” Dipper asked, trying to speak lower than usual so his voice wouldn't be recognized.

“H-hey, what's going on?” The man struggled, but didn't have the coordination to do much.

“I'm just here to talk to you about a debt you owe.”

“I told Charlie I'd pay him back on Friday!”

“I'm not here on Charlie's orders. But I am here on behalf of Cipher.”

The man stilled. “Cipher?” he whispered. “Bill Cipher?”

“Yeah.” Dipper casually pressed his arm against the other's neck, making him cough. “He wants to know where that silver pistol is.”

“I... I told him I lost it! I'm still looking, I'll get it to him one day!”

_Not good enough,_ Bill said.  _Tell him we're finding it today._

“One day isn't soon enough,” Dipper said. “He wants it now.” He pressed hard enough that the man started to choke, before letting him drop to the ground. While he was down, Dipper forced himself to kick him in the stomach. “So get up and take me to your house so I can get it for him.”

_Way to take the initiative,_ Bill commented as the man got up, wheezing, and nodded.

Dipper followed him, saying to Bill,  _I hate this._

_Nah, you're enjoying having some control. I know you are._

Dipper didn't bother to respond. He just watched the person in front of him, occasionally pushing him to get him to walk faster. Bill was right, he admitted to himself sourly. He was enjoying this.


	4. Knife To Meet You

Over the course of the walk, Dipper learned this man's name was Fred. And he was apparently almost always in debt to someone or something, so he was kinda used to being attacked and payment demanded. When they reached his house, he said that the last place he had seen the pistol was in the drawer next to his bed, but maybe he took it out for cleaning once and put it down somewhere? He really didn't know.

Before Dipper could ask how one misplaced an entire gun, he stepped into the house and saw the clutter everywhere, and it all suddenly made sense.

_What an absolute sty,_ Bill commented in disgust.  _How can people live like this?_

_I don't know... is that a half-full jug of milk sitting next to the wall?_

_Let's find this thing and get out of here._

Dipper pushed past Fred and went to find the bedroom. It was a small house, so it wasn't difficult. He searched the table next to the bed and found nothing but magazines that he really didn't need to see. He slapped the drawer shut and lifted the mattress, checking under it, before diving under the bed.

“Yo man, I'd be careful under there if I was you,” Fred called.

Dipper hissed in pain as something sharp cut into his fingers, and pulled them back to find a mouse trap stuck to them.

_Could be worse, it could have been a rat trap,_ Bill said.

Dipper pulled the bar up and freed his hand, tossing the trap aside. After finding a veritable treasure trove of underwear and socks, and a herd of dust bunnies, he decided the gun wasn't under here and crawled back out.

_Be right back,_ Bill told him.

Dipper continued looking, while Fred stood awkwardly in the doorway.

“You don't have to watch, as soon as I find it I'm leaving,” Dipper said.

“Right, just... uh, I'm gonna go heat up some tater tots in the microwave, you want some?”

“No thanks.”

“All right but if you change your mind, just holler at me.” He finally left.

Dipper shook his head and threw open the door to the closet. And promptly got hit in the head with a rolled up sleeping bag. As he was shoving it back in, he heard Bill's voice again.

_Okay, so I searched the house and it's actually in the living room. There's a movie cabinet that he like never gets into considering all the dust on it, and it's sitting inside._

Dipper closed the door and returned to the living room. As he walked past the kitchen, he heard the microwave running and off-tune whistling, as well as the clinking of glass bottles. Finding the cabinet Bill mentioned was easy, and when he swung it open, sure enough, there was the old pistol sitting in a pile of dust, with VHS tapes behind it. He picked it up and examined it.

_Oh, that's pretty. Tell Fred that you'll be leaving now, and next time, don't make deals he doesn't intend to keep._

The boy headed to the kitchen, poking his head in and waving the pistol. “Hey, I found it. I'm leaving now. Next time, if you're going to make a deal with a demon, make sure you actually have what you're going to promise it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I've learned my lesson.” Fred took a foam plate out of the microwave. It was covered with tater tots and slightly melted around the edges. “You really don't want one of these? They good.”

“I'll pass. And hey, if you know anyone else that deals with Bill, warn them. Because he's not just going to intimidate people. He's going to move on to torture and then murder.”

“Well that's not good. I think I know some peeps... I'll let 'em know.”

“Great. Okay, bye. And thanks for the gun.” Dipper left the house, sighing with relief.

_We should have just murdered him_ , Bill said.  _Souls are more useful than silver..._

_What do you do with souls?_

_I'll show you later. For now, I want that pistol. Hold it out._

Dipper held it up, and everything turned gray as Bill manifested. He took the weapon and examined it, nodding. “Yes, fantastic. Oh, the memories attached to this thing. It has seen a lot.” He lowered his hands, but the gun remained floating in the air. Slowly, it dissolved, turning into a blue mist that seemed to be absorbed into his body.

“That's a weird way to get energy,” Dipper said.

“Maybe to you, but it works. Like I said, any object with significance can do this. And it doesn't have to be objects. I can use blood too. In fact... we're going after someone else tonight. Someone who did owe me blood and chickened out on giving it. I mean, is it so hard to just take a knife and cut open your palm, spilling your blood into a cup or something? I didn't even ask for much. A literal measuring cup, and I'd be satisfied. I only recovered some memories for her that she had lost after a night of heavy drug use.”

“Uh... I don't think you'll want that blood.”

“It'll be fine. Anyway, she just wanted memories, I went into her mind and got them back for her. And she still isn't giving me that blood. Let's go visit her.”

“Something tells me that you're not gonna ask her to cut herself...”

“I hope you're carrying one of your many knives, Pine Tree.”

 

“I feel like a criminal,” Dipper muttered as he pulled the strings of his jacket, tightening the hood to effectively hide his face.

_When you enter just go straight into the living room and to the couch, she's passed out on it. This house is technically her boyfriend's but he's off partying in a nearby town so no one will be here to help her._

_Is everyone who makes deals with you some kind of druggie or alcoholic?_

_Actually no, there are plenty of intelligent, sophisticated people who deal with me. Of course, they usually make much more interesting deals, with higher prices. And think they're clever enough to avoid paying me back. They move far away or change their names or even use magical protection... I'll be taking you to meet some of them very soon, but for now, the stupid people are the easiest to take care of._

Dipper tried the doorknob and found it was unlocked, and let himself in. He caught a unique smell that he recognized as marijuana, and briefly remembered that time he caught Robbie with a joint and had used it as blackmail material for weeks.

He shook his head and focused, sneaking into the living room and to the couch. The lights were off and the TV was showing static. The remote laid on the floor nearby.

_That is definitely her,_ Bill said as Dipper examined the sleeping woman.

_I feel really awkward sneaking around some woman's house._

_You're about to feel more than awkward. Now wake her up and tell her why you're here._

Dipper took in a deep breath to compose himself, immediately regretted it when the smell made him dizzy, and decided to just get this over with as quickly as possible before he got a contact high. “Wake up!”

“I wasn't sleepin', honey,” she said in a slurred voice, raising her head. Her eyes seemed to take way too long to focus on him, and she frowned. “Uh, what's with the hoodie get up? Ya hiding that pretty face?” She giggled and reached toward him, but he grabbed her wrist. It didn't seem to bother her. “Ooh, you wanna play like that? Oh, is this one of those dirty roleplays where you're the burglar and I'm the helpless virgin?”

_Ooh, feisty,_ Bill laughed.  _I like her._

Dipper resisted the urge to puke and said, “I'm not who you think I am. I'm here on behalf of Bill Cipher.”

She tilted her head. “Bill... now where have I heard that name...”

Dipper let go of her arm and held up his hands, making a triangle with them.

Recognition crossed her features. “Oh, Cipher!” She sat up, scrambling back. “The triangle with the eye!”

“Yep, that one. Apparently you owe him some blood?”

“Oh, uh... about that, see... I tried but... it makes me feel sick just thinking about making myself bleed. But if there's anything else I can do...”

Dipper put his hand on her shoulder and shoved her against the back of the couch, taking out his knife with the other. When he flicked it open, her eyes widened. “Nope, he wants the blood,” he said. “Now we can make this clean, or we can make it messy. Either way works for him.”

_Threatening! Good, very good!_

“I'll call the cops,” she replied, voice shaking.

“Not if you can't get to the phone.” Dipper lowered the knife, considering where he wanted to slice.

_Make sure you have something to collect it in. Also, go for the leg. You can get a pretty big cut into the thigh and it'll still heal, but it will definitely bleed. Heh, you should remember that from the wyvern trying to eat you._

Dipper looked around and located a red Solo cup laying near the couch, and decided that would have to do.

_Lift it up,_ Bill joked as Dipper grabbed it.

“Okay, just hold still while I make a quick incision,” Dipper ordered, and before the woman had time to react, he scraped the very tip of the knife into the side of her leg, putting just enough pressure on it to split the skin.

She flinched and screamed for help, and in a panic, Dipper did the first thing that came to mind and slapped her. She quickly stopped, eyes brimming with tears as she stared at him, and it occurred to him that he probably wasn't the first to do that to her.

“Sorry,” he said quietly, lowering his hand and putting it near the cut, applying pressure to try and squeeze more blood out. He held the cup below the stream, watching it slowly fill. “But I have to do this.”

“Are you going to kill me?” she whimpered.

He shook his head. “No. All I need from you is blood. Once I get this, I'll be on my way. If you had just done this yourself, I wouldn't be here right now.”

She silently watched him, and he felt guilty as she wiped tears off her face.

_Oh boy, if you feel guilty doing this, I can only imagine what you'll be like when you actually have to kill someone._

_Don't remind me. Is this enough?_

_Hmm... get like another inch, and then it should be good._

Dipper waited for the cup to fill up just a little more, and then took the woman's hand, pressing her palm to the gash. “Go get a towel or something and apply pressure to this. Once the bleeding stops, clean it out with soap and water, and disinfectant if you have any. Actually, just go ahead and take a full shower. And don't do drugs, they're bad for you and your income could be going to something so much better like nice clothes or good food. Maybe books. Try reading more books.” He backed up, and she just sat there, staring at him with blood leaking out between her fingers. “And don't make deals with demons. Unless you plan on keeping them. Okay, bye.” He hurried out.

_Geeze, you were doing so well at first. Got really awkward at the end. Try not to do so much talking._ Like before, Bill appeared to him, and he gave him the cup.

“I don't think I'm suited for this,” Dipper said, walking away from the house with the demon following. “I can't just hurt people like that and not feel anything.”

“It doesn't matter what you feel, as long as you do it. Yeah, you felt bad but you got the job done. And there was no wasting time, you told her why you were there and got what you came for. And you looked pretty confident doing it. Your voice never broke. I think you're ready for something a bit bigger.”

“Look, this is only my first day doing this, I... I need some time to adjust.” Dipper couldn't believe he was about to do this, but he really needed a break. “Please?”

“Hmm, well...” Bill considered it, tossing the cup aside and looking at him. Dipper gave him an imploring look. “Okay, fine. That's all for tonight. But you're making up for it tomorrow night. I'm gonna go find some good victims for you. You think roughing people up is hard? Just wait until I make you seriously injure them. Or kill them.”

The boy's stomach churned just thinking about that. He put his head in his hand and walked faster. “I need to get back home, I... I think the stuff in that house gave me a headache...”

“Yeah, don't be surprised if you start feeling loopy and hungry before you get back. That was some pretty high quality stuff. If she takes your advice and starts spending her money on more beneficial things, she'll be eating like a king. Or queen, I guess.”

Dipper just nodded.

“Okay I can see when I'm not wanted. Have a nice walk home, I'm gonna take off.”

Color flooded back into the town, and Dipper stumbled as he woke up. He looked around, dazed, and realized he must have been sleepwalking ever since he left the house. The Mindscape was so strange... He shook his head and kept going. As he walked, he took his knife out, looking at the blood on the tip, and just thinking about where that had come from made him nauseous. And the deeds he carried out were only going to get worse...

He sighed and wiped the knife off against his jacket before pocketing it, and finally took his hood down, running his fingers through his hair and looking up at the stars. What has he gotten himself into?


	5. Appreciation or Flirtation?

Dipper didn't remember much of the walk home. Nor did he remember going upstairs and flopping onto the bed for some much needed rest. The next thing he was aware of was the alarm going off at 6:30 AM.

With a groan, he turned it off and got up. He went to the dresser, gathering some clean clothes, and raced his sister to the bathroom. He made it first, but paused in the doorway when she showed an intention to speak with him.

“You look tired,” she said.

“I am.”

“Was it...” She looked around, then whispered, “Bill?”

He nodded. “He had me do some stuff...”

“Already? Oh, Dipper...” She embraced him, and he hugged back, patting her back.

“It was nothing bad. Well, not really. I intimidated this one guy and took blood from someone else, that was all. But he said he'll be starting me on more severe punishments soon, though...”

Mabel nodded and backed up. She didn't have anything to say to that.

Dipper gave her a sad smile and messed up her hair. “Better me than you.”

“We should be going through it together,” she said softly, before returning to her room.

He almost went after her, but decided against it. He turned and headed into the bathroom.

After a quick shower, he tugged on his clothes, brushed his hair and teeth, and went to let Mabel know he was done. She silently passed him and disappeared into the room.

With a sigh, he went downstairs. Stan was whistling as he made breakfast, having been personally mentored by Mabel. On the upside, it was something besides cereal every day. On the downside, it was some kind of omelet every day.

“Hey Dipper, you want cheese in yours?” Stan asked as Dipper sat down at the table.

“Of course,” he replied.

“Haha, of course you do! And ham?”

“You know it.”

Stan tossed the ingredients in. “What should I put in your sister's? She seems moody today, usually I can hear her singing and listening to the latest boy band from all the way down here.”

“I dunno, probably just a girly mood swing.” Dipper mentally winced, knowing Mabel would kill him if she heard that. “But I think sprinkles will cheer her up.”

“Definitely. But those will melt if I put them in now. I'll just wait and put them on top.”

“Good idea. Though she does have that edible glitter left over from that cake she made...”

Stan went to look through the cabinets. “Ah... so she does.” Cackling, he grabbed it and brought it to the pan, tapping some out into one of the omelets.

_Shooting Star will like that,_ Bill suddenly spoke up, making Dipper jump.

“Kid, you okay?” Stan asked.

“Uh... fine. Just... thought I heard a wasp. Turns out it was a fly. Heh.”

“Well, okay. Geeze, you spook worse than an old, paranoid horse.” Stan returned his attention to cooking.

Dipper turned to the side as he thought back to Bill,  _What do you want?_

_I don't want anything. I'm just watching. Passing time until tonight._

_Can't you just... go make deals on the other side of the world? Seriously, I'm sure there are other far more interesting things you could concern yourself with right now._

_I could. But I like being around you._

Dipper felt a small chill, almost as if something cold had brushed along his shoulders. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling. But he shuddered anyway.  _Flattery will get you nowhere, Bill._

_Oh, I think it will. I know how much you like being flattered. Being told that you're smart. That you're strong. That you are important._

Dipper realized he was blushing before Bill was even done speaking, and slapped his hand over his mouth to hold in a pleased hum.

Stan looked back at him. “Seriously, Dipper, what's wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” Dipper squeaked, standing.

There was an audible grin in Bill's voice as he continued to talk, almost as if whispering to the teen.  _You have so much potential, you could be so great... Really, you already are. Clever, resourceful..._

“I think I'm having an attack, I need fresh air!” Dipper managed, running from the house. His face was burning and he didn't understand why. Stopping at the edge of the woods, he doubled over and panted, hands on his knees.

_So flattery will get me nowhere, huh?_ Bill teased.

Out loud, Dipper said, “Shut up, there's a line between flattery and straight up flirting, and that sounded an awful lot like flirting.”

_Hmm, maybe it did. It can sound like whatever you want it to sound like. I was only being honest._

Managing to slow his breathing, Dipper straightened up.  _You... really think I'm great?_

_Of course I do. Not many humans are as clever as you. See, you possess intelligence, and not only that, but logic. You don't let emotions rule your choices. I like that about you. You do what must be done even if it hurts someone. Even if that someone is you. Or a family member. Selfish yet selfless. You're able to see the cold, straight line from A to B without diverting for morals. You can reach compromises that leave both parties angry but accepting. Wonderful, isn't it?_

_Mabel says I think too much, though. That I should be more emotional._

_And emotion is great! As long as it doesn't control you. But using it for motivation? Fantastic. You do have low empathy, though. That's for the best. Especially with what you'll be doing._

Dipper started to reply, but then he heard footsteps behind him, and next thing he knew, a thick blanket was being draped around his shoulders.

“Hmm?” He glanced over to see Stan, who simply put his hands on his shoulders and coaxed him into sitting down. He did so, and a hot mug of coffee was pressed into his hands.

“Need to talk about anything?” Stan asked, sitting down next to him.

“Uh... no. I think I'm okay, it passed.” Dipper felt a surge of gratitude. It's been a long time since he's actually had a panic attack, but Stan's immediate response was still to make him comfortable and be there to help him.

“Okay, good. Just relax. Come back inside when you're ready. And don't get dew all over that blanket, I like it.” Stan got up and returned to the shack. He cast Dipper a final concerned look before going in.

Dipper sighed and took a sip of coffee, hoping Stan hadn't seen him blushing.

_So you admit you were blushing,_ Bill said.

_Can it, corn chip._

_Oh, I knew it. You want appreciation so much that getting it from anyone, even a demon, will fluster you. Why, I'd dare say that anyone who flatters you could easily wrap you around their finger. That is very good to know._

Dipper hated how easily the demon could read him. He stood and headed back inside, sitting at the table with the blanket still around him and continuing to sip at the coffee.

Stan smiled at him, turning off the stove and putting the omelets on plates. “Feelin' better?”

“Much better.”

“Good. Want your omelet now or should we wait for Mabel?”

“I can wait.”

Stan left the plates next to the stove and came over to the table, sitting down across from Dipper. “Is everything all right? You haven't had an attack in a while.”

“I'm okay. It was just stress, I guess. From thinking about that dragon thing...”

Stan didn't seem convinced. “Dipper, remember that promise we all made to each other years ago? That there will be no more secrets? I mean it. You can trust me. With anything. No matter what. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Dipper replied, the events of five years ago flashing through his mind. “I do trust you. And I'm telling the truth, it was just a memory of the wyvern that triggered it. I'm fine. Really.”

“Okay... But if there's anything else, let me know.” Stan stood to fetch a cup of coffee for himself, and Dipper stared down at his own mug. He wanted to tell Stan the truth. That he and Mabel had been wounded. That they had almost died. But Bill had rescued them to put them in his debt, and Dipper was being forced to pay it back. And will have to for the rest of his life.

_But that would cause him unnecessary worry, and you don't want that,_ Bill pointed out.  _He won't be able to change it. Why upset him?_

_Exactly. He doesn't need to know what I've done... What I will do._ Dipper looked up as Mabel entered the room, hair damp and somewhat frizzy, wearing a sweater with a cute dinosaur on it. It didn't really match her glum expression.

“There she is!” Stan went to ruffle her hair, and she laughed, which brought a smile to Dipper's face as well. “I made you a special omelet today!” He picked up one of the plates and gave it to her, with plenty of sprinkles.

“Ooh, it's pretty!” She took it and went to sit down. Stan brought the other plates over, passing one to Dipper.

The mood lightened as they ate, Dipper putting Bill out of mind as he joked with his family, and Bill actually stayed quiet throughout the meal. Dipper wasn't sure why, but he wasn't going to complain. For all he knew, Bill just wanted to watch, or even better, had gone to find something else to do.

Once they were done, Mabel took the task of cleaning the dishes while Stan and Dipper went to open up the shop.

“We're getting a tour bus at 8 as usual, but there might still be others before that,” Stan said as Dipper flipped the sign to Open. “So be vigilant.”

“Of course.” Dipper had pretty much taken over the job of leading tours and pressuring people to buy the overpriced junk called souvenirs. Stan, whose age was really starting to catch up with him, tended to stay in his office taking care of finances and running the online shop Mabel had set up for him. Though the computer frustrated him, it brought in even more money, so Stan was willing to tolerate it.

Mere moments after the sign was flipped and the door unlocked, Soos burst in with arms full of tools. “I'm ready for another awesome day working the best job ever!”

“Soos, the roof needs to be re-tiled again in that one spot,” Stan said immediately. “You know the one.”

The handyman clumsily shifted everything to one arm so he could render a salute. “You got it, Pops!” He spun on a heel and went right back out.

“Heh. I love his enthusiasm.” Stan clapped Dipper on the back. “All right, I'm going to my office. Will you be all right here?”

“Completely.” Dipper glanced outside. No tourists yet.

“Great. See ya.” Stan went into his office.

Dipper leaned against the wall next to the door for a few minutes, but grew bored quickly, so he went to tidy up some shelves. As he worked, he tentatively thought,  _Bill?_

_Yep, I'm here,_ Bill chirped.  _Need something?_

_No, just... wondering if you had anything particularly wise or cryptic to say, you usually do._

Bill was silent for a few moments. Then he said, _The clashing colors on that bobblehead are offensive._

Dipper couldn't help it; he snorted with amusement. _Yeah, they are pretty awful._

_I like the shirts in here though. The colors are warm and remind me of fire._

_Of course they do._

That was about when Dipper realized he was casually chatting with a demon and decided he needed to stop. He finished sorting the shelf and went to look out the window, keeping an eye out for visitors.

 _Hey, it's good that you're getting used to me being around_ , Bill said. _After all, I'm gonna be around for the rest of your life._


	6. Hard On the Eyes

For the next few days, Bill's orders were surprisingly forgiving. Dipper never had to seriously hurt anyone, instead gaining confidence and learning how to intimidate them into giving what Bill needed. He occasionally had to rough someone up, but it was getting easier. Except for when he had to deal with a citizen he was on good terms with who almost recognized him, but luckily Bill had just deleted their memory of his voice so they wouldn't recall it later.

Just as Dipper was starting to think this wasn't so bad, Bill decided to step it up a notch.

“You're really gonna hurt this one, kid,” Bill said as Dipper snuck out of the Shack as per the norm. The demon had decided to physically tag along rather than piggyback in Dipper's mind this time. And not only that, but he was in reality, having been harnessing the energy from completed deals to do so. He had explained to Dipper that usually he didn't put it into that, it took a lot more power to get out of the Mindscape than it was usually worth, but this was worth it.

“What do I have to do?” Dipper asked, glancing over at the other. He still couldn't get used to seeing him surrounded by normal colors rather than grayscale.

“Nothing difficult for you! I just want you to remove someone's eyes for me!”

Dipper stopped, staring at the demon. “What?!”

“Oh, and use this, it'll entertain me.” Bill dropped a melon baller into his hand.

Dipper gave it a disgusted look, but pocketed it nonetheless. “Why their eyes? What did they do?”

“Wore glasses, hated them, wanted perfect vision. Begged help from anyone. Even me. My specialty doesn't lie with healing, but since sight involves the brain, I was able to magically Macgyver the connection and fix it. They bailed immediately to a different city. I guess they thought I couldn't leave Gravity Falls. Well, I can. And such blatant disrespect cannot go unpunished. I'm taking their vision.”

Dipper left the house and silently got into his car. “Why not just... I don't know, give them their bad vision back? Or blind them? Tearing their entire eyes out seems a bit... extreme.”

“I know others that would straight up kill them for so rudely refusing to pay their end of the deal.” Bill leapt into the car and sat on the passenger seat, which was almost funny, but Dipper was not in a laughing mood. “I'm being merciful. And ripping body parts out is fun. To me. Now drive.”

Dipper turned on the car and headed out. He drove in silence for a while, then said, “Wait, where am I going?”

“Oh, right. Here.” Bill floated up and pressed his hand to Dipper's head, and he received a quick but intense flash of information. He almost drove off the road before focusing, shaking his head to clear it.

“Okay, not too far,” he said. “So, take out their eyes?”

“Yes.”

Dipper shuddered just thinking about that.

“You'll do great. After all, you did when I asked you to cut that guy's pinkie off.”

“That was incredibly hard to do.” When Bill raised his eyebrow, Dipper clarified, “I mean, it wasn't hard to actually do, it was like chopping a carrot, but like... mentally convincing myself to do it? It was so difficult, I... I don't know how I could take out someone's eyes...”

“It's actually pretty easy. Eyeballs are very soft. But they can be kinda tricky. See, the eyelids kinda get in the way, and while the eyes themselves don't really feel pain, everything around them can. Well, I guess the cornea has nerve endings. But you'll be working around the sides of the eye anyway. Unless you wanna just stab a knife into the middle of them and yank them out, but that's pretty messy.”

Dipper self-consciously touched one of his own eyes, shuddering as he imagined what it would feel like to have it pulled out like that.

Bill kept talking. “But messy is fun, so you could still do that. I just think the melon baller would be funnier. I know you have a sense of humor, Pine Tree.”

“Well, my sense of humor isn't so dark.”

“That's a lie and you know it.” Bill leaned forward to rest his arms on the dashboard, gazing out the window. They were passing a sign, and he read it out loud. “Now leaving Gravity Falls. And as you can see, I am perfectly fine. I mean, what kind of powerful being would I be if I was restricted to one area? Ha, humans are so stupid.”

Dipper was quiet, trying to mentally steel himself for what he would be doing soon.

Sensing what he was doing, Bill turned to put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it'll be a snap. Just gotta do it quickly and get it over with. And once you get used to it, then you can take your time and let them suffer.”

“Have you torn out many eyes before?”

“Oh yes, back in the day I was tearing out plenty of eyes. And tongues. And teeth, of course... I can actually do it totally painlessly, but where's the fun in that?”

Dipper didn't really have a response for that. So he instead asked, “Aren't there muscles attached to the eye? Won't I need to sever those?”

“Oh sure. But you put enough pressure on that melon baller and you'll just gouge right through them. Pick a side and just push as hard as you can, get the eye out of its socket just enough to reach back with a knife and cut the optic nerve and the muscles on the other side, then it'll come right out.”

“How am I supposed to use both my hands if the person is going to be fighting me? I'm sure you'll want them awake for this.”

“I'll hold their arms down and you can sit on their legs, of course. Heck, I could put them into sleep paralysis. They'll be aware of everything but unable to move. Would that work?”

“Uh... yeah. That would work.”

There was about a minute of silent driving before Dipper had to break it, and reached over to turn up the radio. Bill merely looked out the window, expression unreadable, and Dipper mused that he was probably thinking of things inconceivable to man, watching distant and future events occur and then end, peering into unknowing minds and seeing through their eyes, always learning, always-

“Hey Pine Tree, have you ever wondered what it'd be like if sharks had legs?”

“Oh my God.”

 

Dipper stopped the car near a tall, old apartment building, getting out and looking up at it. Bill examined it and nodded. “Yep, this is the place. He had to switch jobs and stuff when he moved, he's trying to move to a better home but for now he has a little apartment. Third floor, room 305. He's... actually asleep right now, so I'll definitely give him sleep paralysis. Then you just do your thing.”

Dipper slowly approached the building, hands shaking slightly. “I don't know if I can do this...”

“Of course you can. You don't have a choice.” Bill floated along next to him, resting his elbow on his hand thoughtfully. “Hmm, I wonder what kinds of jokes Shooting Star would make about tearing out someone's eyes, I bet she'd have some good ones...”

Dipper straightened up and walked faster, grabbing the door handle and throwing it open. There was a small lobby with a tired-looking woman sitting at the counter reading a magazine. She didn't even look at him as he walked by, nor did she seem to notice him being followed by a glowing yellow triangle.

“What a dump,” Bill commented as Dipper kicked a few cans out of his way.

“At least it has an elevator,” he replied, finding the metal doors and pushing the up button. It didn't light up. Nor was there even a sound from inside. “What the...” He pushed it harder, making sure it moved, and still didn't see a light. He pressed his ear to one of the doors and listened. Nothing. “Is it broken?”

“Let me see.” Bill phased through the wall. After a moment, he came back. “Yep, thing's stuck on one of the higher floors. Cables are jammed and rusty. Dunno how water got into the elevator shaft but there you go.”

“Wow, an out of order sign would be nice,” Dipper said loudly, hoping the person in the lobby could hear. “Stairs, then.” He went to find them.

“How can humans live in such conditions?” Bill sighed. “Sometimes I think it wouldn't be so bad if someone just wiped all of you out, but then things would get pretty boring on Earth.”

“Is that a mouse?”

“Don't be ridiculous, Pine Tree. That's a rat.”

Dipper jogged up the stairs and exited on the third floor, going to find the room Bill had indicated. Once he found it, he tested the doorknob and found it locked. It had a keyhole rather than the keycard scanners a newer building would have. “Hmm. Maybe if it's that old, it wouldn't have...” A quick look around revealed no cameras, but he wanted to make sure. “Bill, are there any cameras here?”

“Let's see.” Bill looked around, pupil widening for a moment, and then back at him. “Nope. What a cheap apartment. And hey, put gloves on, what have I told you about leaving fingerprints?”

“Geeze, sorry...” Dipper dug the leather gloves out of a pocket of his jacket and put them on.

“Need me to unlock this or can you get it?”

“I got it.” Dipper had acquired a lockpicking kit for that purpose. He took the necessary tools out of it and slid them into the keyhole. It took a lot of fidgeting and swearing but he finally managed to rotate the tumbler and cause the door to unlock. He pushed it open and withdrew the tools.

“You're getting better, though with that method I don't think this door will lock again,” Bill commented.

“That won't be my problem.” Dipper snuck inside, and once Bill was in, closed the door behind him. He shielded his eyes against the demon's glow; it was more intense in the otherwise dark room. “Can you tone it down?”

Bill scoffed but became dimmer.

“Thank you.” Dipper tiptoed through the apartment, searching for the bedroom. He nearly tripped over the coffee table and stubbed his toe on a chair, but otherwise didn't make noise. He located the room and slipped in, walking up to the bed. There wasn't really much light to see the person by, except for moonlight coming in through the window, but Bill identified him as who they were after.

They were too close to the man to speak out loud, so Bill thought to Dipper, _Do you have enough light to work by?_

_I will if you're glowing next to his head. Once he wakes up it doesn't matter how bright you are._

_Good idea. Okay, I'm going to wake him up. Get ready._ Bill set his hands on the man's temples, and Dipper took out a knife and the melon baller. He inhaled deeply, trying to reassure himself, but he felt sick just thinking about what he was about to do.

Bill narrowed his eye, and then the man jerked, eyes flying open. He looked around, breathing rapidly, but couldn't seem to lift an arm or even turn his head. He did see Bill over him, and his eyes widened with recognition.

“Hey, how are those eyes working for you?” Dipper asked, and the man quickly looked at him instead. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but only gasped and coughed. The sleep paralysis was working admirably.

“He wants to know who we are,” Bill drawled, hands still on the human's head. “Well, he knows who I am. He wants to know who you are. And why we're here.”

“Who I am isn't important. As for why we're here...” Dipper scratched nonchalantly at his chin using the knife. “Well, sir, I'm here on Bill's orders. He apparently fixed your vision for you, and you never repaid him. Not only that, but you fled to a different town thinking you could outrun him. He didn't really appreciate that.”

There was muffled grunting as the guy tried to talk, perhaps attempting to defend himself.

“What do you mean, the price was too high and you couldn't afford it?” Bill demanded. “You shouldn't have agreed to it in the first place, then, fuckwit! Pine Tree, get what he owes me.”

“Sorry man but this is what happens when you deal with demons,” Dipper said, leaning over him. He chose an eye and reached down to touch it. It closed, but he pried the lids up with his fingers. The pressure made the man recoil, but he wasn't able to move very far. A pained groan escaped him. “But hey, at least he decided not to kill you. He just wants your eyes. If you hold still I can get this done quickly, but you can struggle and make it messy if you want.”

Of course the man tried to fight back, and Bill's fingers dug harder into the sides of his head in an attempt to keep him immobile, but it was becoming more difficult as he woke up more fully and gained awareness.

Dipper had to take a more direct approach, swinging himself up onto the bed and sitting on his chest, pinning his arms down under his knees, keeping everything but his head and neck pretty much trapped under the blankets. “Messy it is, then,” he said. He kept one of the eyes held open and lowered the melon baller.

Bill watched with obvious excitement as the modest kitchen utensil moved closer and closer, but when it stopped about a centimeter away, he looked sharply up at Dipper.

“Go on, do it,” he urged. “Don't think about it, and definitely don't do it slowly. That thing isn't very sharp, just scoop it in quickly, cut the muscles, pull out the eye and sever the optic nerve! Then do the next! Simple!”

“I... I can't,” Dipper muttered, fingers twitching.

“Well, in that case I guess I'll just have to kill you and Mabel... oh, I'm just imagining the way she'll scream...”

Dipper's eyes widened, and his hand plunged downward, the metal tearing past the eyelids with ease, and the man finally managed to make a proper noise, yelling and thrashing.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” Dipper cried, pushing harder, cringing as blood splattered out, covering his fingers, running in thick rivers down the man's face. He tilted his hand, getting the scoop under the eyeball, feeling resistance from the muscle and skin surrounding it, so he slid his knife in alongside the baller, cutting through the tissue.

He was breathing hard now, feeling like he was going to throw up, unable to stop staring at the chunk of bloody goo that was once an eye as he tugged it free of the socket. A quick cut with the knife severed the optic nerve, and then it was out. It sat in the utensil, seeming to stare back at him, muscles and tissue hanging down limply around it. His stomach heaved, and he turned to the side and threw up.

“Oh geeze, Pine Tree...” Bill sighed, rolling his eye. Then he put his hand over their victim's mouth. “Stop whimpering, you.”

Dipper coughed and wiped his mouth off, looking back at his work. The empty socket of the other drew his attention immediately, bleeding way more than he expected it to, the remnants of the eyelids drooping around it. His gut churned again, but he didn't really have anything else to throw up. “Okay,” he whispered. Then he cleared his throat and tried again. “Okay, other eye. We're almost done.” He shifted and leaned down to the other eye, flicking the melon baller to get the goop off it.

Bill took his hand off the man's mouth and instead pulled his eyelids up for Dipper, watching intently. The metal tore into the soft tissue more cleanly this time, now that Dipper had a feel for it. He twisted his wrist and slid the scoop around the circumference of the eye, using some quick and accurate jabs of the knife to separate each muscle he found, and finally pulled the entire organ out. The only thing louder than the pounding of his heart was the screaming of the man.

“Now that's what I call an eye-popping experience,” Bill laughed.

A cut to the nerve and that was it. Dipper plucked the eye from the utensil and dropped it next to the other one, and swallowed heavily, looking away from the empty, bleeding holes in the man's face. He had stopped yelling and was now breathing quickly and shallowly.

“Fun fact, removal of the eyes will usually lead to death if medical care is not sought right away,” Bill said, finally letting go and moving away. “Because of the blood loss and shock.”

Regaining the use of his muscles, the man threw himself up and forward, and Dipper jumped off of him as he scrambled out from under the covers, bumping blindly into the bedside table and tripping, sobbing hysterically.

Bill retrieved the eyes and watched coolly as the blinded human stumbled to his feet and swung his fist in Dipper's general direction, but missing. Dipper quietly backed away, going around to the other side of the room, watching with horror as the other covered his red-soaked face and fled the room, bumping into the doorframe on the way out. Moments later, they heard the sound of a door slamming and rushing water; he had gone into the bathroom.

“Well, that's all we needed. I don't care what happens to him from this point on.” Bill admired the severed eyes, twirling the muscles around, before blue fire erupted from his palms and consumed them, and they faded away.

Dipper wanted to drop his weapons, but he knew he couldn't do that. He just used his least bloody hand to dig a plastic bag out of one of his pockets, dropping them inside and sealing it before returning them to his pocket. As he left the room, he turned to listen to the sound coming from the bathroom. He heard running water, splashing, and swearing mixed with groaning.

He wanted to give him some medical advice, but ultimately decided against it. It wasn't his problem. This unnamed person knew what they were dealing with. They had made their choice, and they had suffered the consequences. Really, they deserved this.

Exhaling, he looked at Bill, who was giving him a mouthless smile. “Exactly, Pine Tree. All these people deserve these punishments. And you know it.”

“I need to wash off.” Dipper left the apartment, looking straight ahead and trying not to think about what he had done. But he couldn't deny that Bill was right. Deep down, he did think that what he was doing was justified. And it scared him.


	7. Problem, Officer?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, this only took a bit longer to be posted because I literally couldn't figure out what to title it. So memes. Memes are always good. That is all.

After leaving the apartment, Dipper found a public bathroom not too far away and rinsed his gloves off, patting them dry with some paper towels before removing them and cleaning his face off, tugging his hood down as he did. He lifted his head to look at himself in the mirror. With all these long nights, he would expect himself to look much more tired than he did, but he actually looked pretty good. In fact, he somehow looked healthier than usual. He didn't even have bags under his eyes. “Bill?”

“Yeah, kid?” As always, Bill was right there to answer his call, floating next to his shoulder.

“Have you been using any of your magic on me?”

“You gotta be more specific than that.”

Dipper turned to him, gesturing at his face. “You keep me up all night with this stuff, and yet I look fine. No bags under my eyes, no droopy eyelids, nothing. Are you using magic to keep me healthy?”

“Of course I am. I can't have my servant getting sick or exhausted. Surely you've noticed the lack of nightmares lately?”

Huh. Dipper had noticed that. “I just figured that I was too tired when I went to bed to even have them...”

“Nope, you'd normally be having them, but I put a stop to that. You need as much sleep as you can get.”

“That's very... kind of you.”

“Eh. It's nothing. Sleep is one of my specialties, after all. If it's related to dreams, I can do it.”

Dipper finished washing off and grabbed some more paper towels. “Really? Can you sing lullabies?” he teased.

“Of course I can.”

The thought of that made Dipper laugh. “Yeah right. With your voice, I really doubt you could sing anyone to sleep.”

“Is that a challenge, Pine Tree?”

Dipper started to say yes, then thought better of it. He really didn't want Bill to make him pass out here. So he shook his head and dried his face off. “You can prove it later.”

“I'm holding you to that.”

“Well, is that all for tonight?” Dipper asked, throwing the towels away and leaving the bathroom.

“Hmm, let me think... there's no one else in this town, and the only people in Gravity Falls I can think of deserve either torture or death and I don't think you're to that point yet.”

“I just scooped someone's eyes out with a melon baller, I'm pretty sure that counts as torture.”

“Nah, not like that. I mean like... tying them down and methodically cutting into them with a knife, twisting it in deep, pressing hot metal to their bare flesh... that kinda stuff. Good ol' fashioned torture. You need some more practice before we get to that. Hmm... okay, I'll let you choose. We can either go on a pretty long trip to a town about an hour from here to ransack someone's house for a particular necklace and carve my symbol into them as a warning, or go back to Gravity Falls and I can finally teach you some magic.”

The second option definitely got Dipper's attention. “Definitely magic.”

“I knew you'd pick that. You already have such a gift for it.” Bill led the way back to the car, jumping in Dukes of Hazard style and waiting for Dipper to enter. While the teen got in and started it up, he continued, “I've watched you perform all kinds of spells over the years with no instruction, you just find the words and recite them and they work. You have talent. And I'm going to help you unlock your potential.”

“Most of those spells had more to them than just reciting the words...”

“Yes, but even so, if you didn't have the talent in the first place, you could put down all the candles and draw all the runes you want and still have nothing happen. But you could not only do them, but do them near flawlessly. I didn't miss that.” Bill moved closer to throw his arm around Dipper's. “You could learn how to do anything!”

“Well...” Dipper gently tugged his arm away, “You did mention teaching me how to use the energy from the people I... kill...”

“Oh yes, of course! Dark magic! My favorite kind!” Bill reached out to him again, and this time, Dipper let him hold onto him. “When we start killing, I'll still be taking whatever they owe me on top of their lives, so of course there will be plenty of energy for us to share. I'll teach you all the useful things you can do with souls. What's good is that you can start sealing them away into a kind of... I guess pocket dimension, as a reserve for yourself. You can save them up and as you get stronger, you can draw more of that energy back out to use. For bigger, better spells. And then there are things that are just inherently magical themselves... certain artifacts, runes, words...”

“If you've seen me use magic before, then... what kind do you think I'm best at?”

“Hmm... let me think...” Bill gazed at him for a while, and Dipper just watched the road, listening to the obscure song playing on the radio. Then he said, “Summoning and destruction. You're really good at getting zombies and demons to notice you. And I also saw you nearly lose control of that fire spell, in a very impressive fashion. Yeah, destructive spells are probably gonna be your forte. Imagine it. Being able to wield fire and electricity, ice and wind, water... the elements at your control! You could do it!”

“I bet that'd make killing easier.”

“Ha, it would. Imagine, striking someone down with lightning and then being able to bury them in the ground with little effort on your part. Trapping someone in their house and then lighting it on fire. Drowning them. The possibilities are endless.”

That did sound pretty cool. Dipper looked away from the road for a moment, giving Bill an unsure smile. The demon smiled back at him with his eye, and for a few seconds, he felt pretty at peace with him despite everything. Then one of the wheels of the car slid off the side of the road, and he quickly turned his eyes back to the front, jerking the steering wheel to the left and getting the car back in the center of the lane. It straightened out with no mishap, and he sighed with relief. Just as he was starting to feel thankful that it hadn't spun out, he saw lights suddenly flash in the rearview mirror, cycling between red and blue. “Ah, really?”

“Well at this hour the cops are probably watching for drunks,” Bill said.

“It's almost eleven, they don't usually start doing that until after midnight!” Dipper stared at the following vehicle and sighed, putting on his blinker before pulling off to the side of the road. “Okay, whatever. I'm sure he'll be able to tell pretty quickly that I'm sober. If he's still suspicious, I can just do the stupid Breathalyzer and prove I'm not drunk.”

“Good plan but you might want to take off that blood splattered hoodie.”

“Huh? Oh, shit.” Dipper tugged the hoodie off and balled it up, throwing it into the backseat. Meanwhile, he saw the cop car park behind him and its door open. “Bill, get out of here. I don't want to have to explain you.”

“Fine, I'll just watch from in here.” Bill disappeared, and Dipper felt his familiar presence in his mind.

The police officer walked up to Dipper's car and he rolled the window down. She glanced about the inside of the vehicle as she said, “Good evening sir, how are you doing?”

“Great, how are you?” he replied politely.

“Good, can I see your license and registration?”

“Of course.” He dug his wallet out and took out his driver's license, handing it to her. As she examined it, he leaned over to the glove-box to get the vehicle registration, as well as the insurance, just in case. He gave these to her.

She flipped through the papers, then handed them back. “I saw your car swerve earlier, I wanted to make sure everything was all right.”

“I'm fine, I was swatting at a bug.”

“Have you had any drinks tonight?”

“Uh, no, I'm seventeen.”

“Well that barely stops anyone around here.” She looked into the car again. “You seem sober, though. I can't smell anything...”

“Great, can I go, then?”

“What are you in such a hurry to do?”

Dipper sighed. “Nothing, I just want to get home. I was at a friend's house, now I'm going home. It's late and I'm tired.”

“Hm...” She looked at him more closely, then leaned back. “Well, okay. Get out of here, then. Stay out of trouble.”

“I will. Thank you.” He waited for her to leave, and rolled the window back up. “Ugh, finally.”

Bill separated from him and took his place in the passenger seat again. “I know, right? I was about to just make her fall asleep so we could leave.”

“Come on, leaving a sleeping cop on the side of the road? That doesn't seem safe.”

“Obviously we'd put her back in her vehicle.”

“Don't they have dash cams? It'd see her collapsing.”

“You're no fun.”

Dipper put the car into drive and pulled back onto the road. “Since when do cops pull someone over for swerving once, anyway?”

“I don't know, I'm not a cop. Maybe she just really wants to give someone a ticket so she's going after anyone suspicious.”

“Maybe. Don't they have quotas? And it is getting kinda close to the end of the month.”

“Probably. Anyway, just pay attention to the road. And don't speed, she's right behind us and we don't need her stopping us again.”

Dipper occasionally glanced back at the car behind him, but it eventually turned into a gas station and parked, so he stopped thinking about it. He turned up the radio a little and talked to Bill about magic, a subject that the demon seemed more than happy to expound on. He knew it was complicated, but there was apparently so much to it that it took years to master even one type, and years more to understand the rest, even without being able to use it. But Bill had faith that he would learn quickly.

It was strange how honest Bill seemed to be in his answers. He would explain anything Dipper asked about, and if something didn't quite make sense, he would keep explaining it until the human got it. Finally, Dipper asked him why he was telling him all this without being cryptic as he usually was.

“I don't need to hide anything from you anymore,” Bill replied. “You're mine. I can tell you anything.”

“So what if I asked you something big, like... what is the meaning of life?”

Bill merely raised his eyebrow. “Implying that it has a meaning.”

“Uh... okay, good point. But where did life come from?”

“You're not fully ready to hear the truth about that one, kid.” Bill looked out the window. “Finally, we're back.”

Dipper saw the sign announcing that they were entering Gravity Falls. He breathed a sigh of relief, already thinking of getting back into bed, it was Friday, he could relax. This past week has been horrible and he felt he deserved some rest.

“Of course you do,” Bill said.

Dipper kept forgetting the demon could read minds. “Are you going to actually let me sleep in?”

“Sure. In fact, I can watch over you and make sure you don't have any nightmares, if you want.”

“Uh... s-sure, I guess.” He still couldn't get over how kind that was.

“Ah, it's nothing. If you have better dreams, you'll have better sleep, and be more productive while you're awake. And that's what I want from you. Productivity.”

“Well, thanks. I'll like that.”

Bill moved closer to him, and Dipper didn't notice until he felt a brushing against his side, and glanced over to see the demon leaning casually against him. He said nothing, and Bill didn't draw attention to it either. He just enjoyed the light, strangely warm touch of the other, and said, “So you're still going to teach me some magic tonight, right?”

“If you want. I can go over some basics with you, but don't expect to do anything practical yet. I'll just be tutoring you on the theories.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Excellent!” Bill reached his arm around Dipper's back and gestured dramatically with his free hand. “I can't wait to teach you! Let's find a secluded area and we can get started!”

“How about the park?”

“That'll do. Ah, Pine Tree...” Bill gave him a pat to the thigh that was almost affectionate. “You're going to be a fantastic student.”


	8. On the Road Again

The first time Bill tutored Dipper, it was just as he said in the car: an explanation of the most basic magic theories, in what was almost a classroom setting. If chairs were decaying logs and the board was a light projection controlled by a demon, that is. But besides that, it reminded Dipper of school.

As he sat attentively on a log in the most secluded part of the woods that was still accessible by car, Bill lectured and drew diagrams and gave demonstrations on everything he talked about. He was an excellent teacher, and answered any questions Dipper had. Provided they were relevant, of course.

It was nice way to spend the night, and by the time Bill decided to wrap it up, Dipper was itching to try some magic himself.

Bill warned him against it, he was untrained in actually performing magic and could hurt himself, but he couldn't say no to the boy's enthusiasm. Rather than outright tell him no and risk him trying it in an uncontrolled environment, he agreed to let him try an easy spell.

“Just something simple,” Bill said as Dipper moved to a clearer area, pushing his sleeves up. “One of the most natural manifestations of magical energy. Fire.”

“Fire? All right.” Dipper was flexing his arms, looking between his hands as if trying to decide which he should use.

“Just go with whatever hand feels most natural. Now, you remember what I said about harnessing magic?”

“Yeah, yeah, got it.” Dipper seemed to settle on his right hand, giving it a little twist.

“How you need to breach that barrier in your mind and allow it into your body?”

“Mhm.”

“But not too much or it could severely damage you?”

“I got it! Now what do I do?”

Bill sighed. “When you get better you'll just be able to think of the concept of fire and it'll happen, but that's too vague for a beginner. So there are certain words you should speak in your mind as you create it. To keep your focus where it needs to be. I'll tell you the best ones.” He leaned in to speak them quietly to Dipper, though the mere use of the words caused their surroundings to grow warmer.

“Cool! Okay, here I go.” Dipper flicked his hand down, focusing, and... nothing.

Bill raised his eyebrow. “Well, if you can't do it with willpower alone...”

“No, I can! Just... hold on.” Dipper glared at his hand, and tried again. He could feel the magic tickling his mind, it was right there, buzzing under the surface of his skin... he just had to get it out. “I can feel it!” he told Bill. “It's right there!”

“Magic is hard, kid. Don't expect to be able to do it right away. Most humans aren't naturally magical... They have to really work hard to even get magic to flow through them...”

With a frustrated grunt, Dipper swung his hand through the air. A jet of flame launched from his palm and slammed into a tree, stripping pieces of bark from it.

Bill looked at him in surprise, then chuckled as Dipper stared at his hand in wonder. When the boy managed to coax a small yellow flame from his fingers, Bill said, “Rough, but effective. And now that you have a feel for it, it should get easier.”

“Hey, I can control it!” Dipper said gleefully, tossing the fire to his other hand. “It doesn't even feel hot!”

“I was right about you. You're going to be a wonderful student.”

 

Dipper began looking forward to the magic lessons. They took his mind off the atrocities Bill has been forcing him to commit. He liked Bill's teaching style, liked how motivational he was, how he praised him when he did well. And even when Dipper failed at something or just didn't understand it, Bill would usually just say something along the lines of, “you dense motherfucker” (where was he picking up this vernacular?) and try teaching him a different way.

Meanwhile, Dipper's relationship with his family and friends grew strained. Mabel was always asking him about the things Bill was making him do, and when he admitted that it wasn't so bad anymore, she became angry with him and wouldn't talk to him for hours. Of course they later apologized, they always do, but she found it difficult to be around him, knowing what he has been doing. She tried to talk to him, but it felt forced, and Dipper usually ended up talking about magic. While Mabel was happy that he enjoyed it, she wasn't exactly pleased with his teacher, and found the concepts he talked about hard to comprehend. She spent most of her time now with Pacifica and Candy, or even calling Grenda, who was spending summer vacation in Austria with her boyfriend Marius. It kinda stung Dipper that his sister would rather make long-distance calls to someone than talk to him, but he wasn't going to make her talk to him if she didn't want to.

Stan still knew nothing of the deal that had been made with Bill. If he ever found out, he would no doubt do all he could to get Dipper out of it. And he was quite knowledgeable about the paranormal. Bill would perceive him as a threat, and if he didn't just take care of Stan himself, who would he use? Dipper. So for the sake of their beloved great uncle, neither Dipper nor Mabel spoke of the deal in his presence. Let him think that everything was okay and his niece and nephew were having a fantastic summer vacation as usual.

Even so, Stan could sense something off about Dipper, but when he asked about it, he would be given the cold shoulder by the teen. He soon became distrustful of him, which was slightly worrying; he could try to investigate. It wasn't uncommon for Dipper to look up from whatever he was doing to see the other watching him with calculating eyes, and it made him paranoid. He decided to start talking to his uncle again, make it seem like everything was okay. Stan seemed to accept the small talk, but they definitely weren't as close as they were before.

Dipper supposed he still got along with Soos the same as he always has, but the handyman didn't hang around the Shack after hours as much as he used to, since he'd rather go home to Melody. So their talks were short and definitely weren't bonding material.

No, Dipper wasn't as close to the others anymore. Most of his free time was spent with Bill. Doing his bidding, learning from him, and sometimes just talking. And he was surprisingly okay with that.

One night, a few days into July, Bill seemed to be much more enthusiastic than usual as he met Dipper outside. Before the human could even ask, he covered his mouth and said, “I found him. I finally found him!”

“Who?” Dipper responded, voice muffled.

“A certain Sir Martin, a wealthy man who was once knighted by the Queen of England herself! Very professional, very intelligent, he helped fund some very important people and their projects, but do you know who made him as clever as he is? Me. In return for some of that wealth, whenever he got it. And what did he do with his money and wit? Learned magic, moved far away, and hid himself from me with enchantments of an impressive nature. But now he's middle-aged and married with two kids, and moved back to the states! And he never bothered to redo his enchantments, probably thinking I had forgotten. Well, I know exactly where he is, and I am going to make sure he suffers for how he wronged me.”

“Great...” Dipper leaned back against his car and sighed, rubbing his face.

“I know you aren't tired. What's wrong?”

“...Stan. He keeps trying to get me to talk about where I'm always going after work. He's noticed me disappearing and being gone all through the night by now... he admits that I'm still doing my work very well and seem to be in a good mood, but he's concerned. He thinks maybe I joined a gang or something.”

“Ah, the old man's worried about you. I say you just convince him you're fine. You just like investigating the woods at night is all. And if he still harasses you, you can let me delete a few things from his mind.”

“I'd rather you not go running around in his brain again.”

“Hey, you've had me in your mind, you know I'm careful.”

“I wouldn't call it careful...” Dipper opened the car door and got in, yawning.

“Well, let me know if you want me to do that. It's always an option.” Bill joined him in the passenger seat. “You'll have to hide the truth from him somehow, though. You know he'll never accept it. He'll try to stop you. And me. And we can't have that.”

His words were calm, but laced with a subtle threat. Dipper nodded, turning the car on. “I know.”

“I know you don't want to hurt him. So keep him ignorant.”

“I'll do my best.”

“I know you will.” Bill patted his arm, and said, “Okay, this person actually lives in California so you know what that means? Road trip!”

Dipper stared at him. “What? I can't just take off like that!”

“Sure you can, it's a Friday.”

“There's no way I'll be back before morning! Stan will definitely get suspicious!”

“Tough shit, now put the pedal to the metal and make your way over to I-5. And you're gonna take it south.”

Dipper grumbled but drove out of the Shack parking lot. “It's gonna take me more than an hour just to get to I-5...”

“Stop complaining. And hey, if Stan is suspicious when you get back, just tell him you felt like taking a drive. You're gonna be eighteen in a few weeks, you're an adult. He'll admire your boldness, trust me. Maybe bring him a gift to distract him. Fine whiskey or something.”

“Bill. I can't buy alcohol, I'm seventeen.”

“I didn't say anything about buying it.”

Dipper sighed, took a deep breath, and tried to cheer himself up. “Well, maybe taking a trip will be fun. I shouldn't worry about Stan right now, it won't change anything.”

“Exactly. Wow, isn't this a nice night? I like the sky here. You can see so many stars.” Bill began looking out the window, and though Dipper has heard him say such things before, it was still strange that an immortal demon seemed to get pleasure out of something so simple. Even if it was probably because Bill had fond memories of that time he blew up a star because an entire alien race had managed to piss him off.

“Gravity Falls does have a nice sky,” Dipper agreed. “It's really clean out here. And there's not much light pollution.”

“Yes, it's a very quaint little town. If I was human, I'd want to live here.”

“Don't you kinda already live here anyway?”

“Well yes, in a way, but I go lots of other places. What do you think I'm doing during the day? I travel the world, kid. I get summons from everywhere. You really have no idea just how well-known I am across humanity. So many cultures have been inspired by me. So many wish to see the All-Knowing Eye.” Bill blinked at him. “But that's getting into my ancient origins that you are totally not important enough to know about.”

“Wow, rude.” Dipper didn't mind, though. He had accepted that there were things about Bill that the demon would never tell him. And honestly, he didn't want to know.

After a few minutes just listening to the radio playing quietly, Dipper said, “So what are we doing to this Sir Martin guy, again?”

“Oh, I never actually told you the plan. Yes, well... it was very insulting how he not only ran from me, but hid from me. All that effort, instead of just giving me the gold blocks I had wanted. He would have kept so much wealth anyway, but no, he became greedy and refused to give me any of it. I had told him that souls are always an alternate payment, and I could come and take it if he didn't pay up. He had promised he would. So on top of greed, we have falsehood. We're not perfect beings but at least we understand how wrong lying is.”

“You lie to me all the time,” Dipper commented.

Bill gave him a hard look. “When have I ever lied to you?”

“How about five years ago when you said you'd help me with McGucket's laptop and... oh, wait, you did kinda help me. Indirectly... Well, how about that one year where you said... no, you still kept your promise later... let me think.” Dipper couldn't think of anything, though.

Bill laughed. “Exactly. I may speak cryptically and give you riddles and clues, but I have never lied to you, kid. I say things that you simply interpret incorrectly. No matter what, I will keep my side of any promise. I actually have a sense of honor.”

Dipper chuckled. “You have strange morals. You talk about honor and justice, you give people great gifts, but you also don't hesitate to hurt or kill those who turn their back on you.”

“Life is not black and white, Pine Tree. I think you'll find that it exists in shades of gray. It may be confusing now but if you put your human ways of thinking behind, what we're doing will make so much more sense.”

“I still think it's cruel...”

“Every single one of those people agreed to it the moment they shook my hand. It's not my fault they don't remember.”

“Do you ever send reminders?”

“Hmph. It's not my job to babysit those people. They're adults. Mostly. They know what they're doing. I'll go a little easier on the young ones. But not much. If you were mature enough to summon a demon then you're mature enough to handle the consequences.” Bill glanced out the window again. They were already past Gravity Falls's city limits. “Back to Sir Martin. He lied to me. And I was able to see enough of his thoughts to know that he, like so many others, never really intended to give what they owe. Humans think they're clever. They're usually not. This one is... but still not clever enough. I have found him. And I'll get what he owes... as well as interest. Pine Tree, I think it's time you put together everything you've learned so far, because we're going to torture this prick.”

“Now when you say torture...” Dipper really did not like the way Bill's eye lit up.

“I don't want to ruin the surprise, but let's just say it's a good thing that you're no longer squeamish.”


	9. Time to Wise Up

Dipper tried to get ideas from Bill for a good hour of the drive, but when it became apparent that the demon didn't want to tell him, he gave up and instead switched to his usual habit of questioning him on whatever existential question popped into his head.

These, Bill humored. Even though Dipper could never get a straight answer, it was still nice discussing life and the universe. Then the conversation moved on to magic, and Dipper would practice control over the environment by making road signs wiggle or trees drop all their leaves. Little things, but they helped an amateur sorcerer get a feel for magic in a way that wouldn't harm them.

They listened to music for a while too. In fact, the majority of the end of the trip was them arguing over who had the best taste in music and switching the radio stations around with every song, though they were just considerate enough to leave it alone if one of their favorites came on.

Dipper was comfortable enough now around Bill that he sang along to his songs without shame, and the demon took interest in his voice, even complimenting him on it. Dipper accepted the thanks and suggested he sing along, but immediately regretted it; Bill was horribly tone deaf. Unless he was faking it to be obnoxious. Seriously, how could anyone be that bad at singing?

“Can you not?” he asked as Bill attempted to hit a high note and fell miserably flat.

“What?” Bill demanded, affronted. “Are my pitchless groans not primitive enough for you to appreciate? I should show you what real music is!”

Dipper had to resist the urge to slam his head against the steering wheel. “Look, you sound like you're in pain. Just... relax a bit. Singing is supposed to be fun.”

“If you know so much about singing, why don't you teach me how to do it properly?”

Dipper raised an eyebrow. “I doubt you need to be taught anything. You know everything, after all.”

“Almost everything,” Bill corrected. “I can accept there are some things I'm... less knowledgeable about. So teach me about singing!”

Dipper sighed, but turned the radio down. “Okay, well... the most important thing is proper breath... control...” He trailed off as he looked at Bill, who was giving him an unimpressed look. “Okay, you don't breathe. Nor do you have a mouth. Uh. Do you?”

“That's getting a little personal.”

Dipper shook his head. “Okay, well... everything I know about good singing involves your breathing and throat and stuff, and since you just kinda... make sound in a different way, I don't know how to teach you.”

“That's disappointing.”

“You're smart, you'll figure it out.”

Bill shrugged. “I just don't think you know what real singing is. Okay, we're almost there. Are you ready?”

“I'm kinda worried.”

“Nah, don't be. This is gonna be a party. Gonna put all your skills to the test. Oh, just wait until you see what I have planned for this guy...”

“You mentioned torture. Is this going to be old-fashioned?”

“Some of it will be. You'll see in a little bit! I'm gonna walk you through all of it! And we're gonna have a great time.”

“Is his family going to be there when this happens?”

“Probably! Do you have a video camera? I'd love to get their reactions on tape.”

“What? No!”

“At least give me your phone.”

“No, we are not recording anything!”

“Party pooper. Turn onto this road.”

Glad for a change of scenery, Dipper did as told. After hours of being stuck in this vehicle with only Bill for company, he will be glad for a bit of fresh air. It wasn't that Bill was terrible to talk to... quite the opposite. But dealing with his mannerisms was exhausting. How could Dipper be expected to keep his sanity like this?

…Oh wait. He wasn't expected to.

Again he felt regret that his life had come to this, that he had gotten himself indebted to a bloodthirsty demon with a god complex, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had agreed to this, and he was going to do the best job he could. Bill relied on him, and that made him feel important. Bill treated him with respect and taught him almost anything he wanted to know. Being his servant wasn't so bad. Even this was getting easier.

They finally arrived at Sir Martin's house. It had three stories and countless windows, with big double doors made of fine wood, its lawn spotless and lush green, flowers and trees everywhere, even a pond. It was all surrounded by a tall fence.

Dipper parked his car outside it in what he hoped was an inconspicuous area, then approached the fence. “Gosh, a fence, I don't know how I'm gonna...” He took a running jump and grabbed the top of it, hauling himself up on upper body strength and spinning his body around so his legs were over it, then dropped on the other side. He bent his knees to absorb the shock as he landed, straightened up, and jogged toward the house.

Bill got in front of him, throwing out a hand. “Wait! Motion-activated cameras linked to flood lights. You set one of those off and everyone will know you're here. Just follow me. I can see their blind spots.”

“That is amazing,” Dipper whispered as he carefully followed the other.

Bill's body flashed a brighter yellow, and he grinned, not that Dipper could tell. “It's pretty normal. I can just see stuff like that. You can't?”

“No, pretty sure I can't. It's a good thing I have you here.”

“You flatter me, Pine Tree.” Bill turned to pat his head, then continued. It took several minutes, but they finally reached the wall of the house and flattened themselves to it, edging around to one of the doors.

While Dipper got to picking the lock, Bill looked around and snapped his fingers. There was a brief magical disturbance.

“What'd you do?” Dipper asked curiously, fiddling more with the lock and hearing a click; the first of many.

“I just sent a wave of distortion into all the cameras so in case the police check them later, they won't see anything but static between the time we arrived and the time we left.”

“Why... couldn't you just do that earlier?” Dipper glared at him, barely noticing the click as the second pin was successfully pushed up.

“It was more fun playing ninja. Hey, do you have that door open yet?”

“I'm working on it, but you're distracting me.” Dipper turned his full attention to the door and finally got it unlocked. “Okay. Anything inside we have to worry about?”

“Nope. Cameras in here are off too. Only thing you might have to worry about is the cat. Or the other cat. Or the three dogs.”

“Breeds?”

“A toy poodle, a Chihuahua, and a pit bull.”

“...Okay, watch out for the poodle.” Dipper opened the door and pulled his hood up over his head, slipping in. It was dimly lit in the house, but from what he could see, it was well-furnished and full of photographs and decorations. He hear the distinct sound of a TV in another room, and quietly snuck toward it.

 _Hold on_ , Bill said to him silently.

_What?_

_There are some things you need to pick up first. Go to the kitchen._

Dipper had no idea what Bill was up to, but obeyed, finding his way to the kitchen. Even this room was big and spotless, filled with appliances and decorations. The fridge alone probably contained enough food to feed a small village.

It also contained food and water bowls and three napping dogs.

Dipper stepped carefully over a snorting, twitching poodle and looked over at Bill, glowing softly next to him.  _What am I getting here?_

_Go to that drawer._

One of the drawers near the counter lit up, and he walked over to open it. Inside was an assortment of silverware.

_Great, now pick your favorite fork._

Dipper gave him a disbelieving look, but grabbed a fork. Meanwhile, Bill examined the knife holder and pulled one out.  _Ah, this will work._

_Bill, what are you intending I do with these?_

_You haven't figured it out yet? Come on, get creative. Next we need a heavy object._ Bill handed the steak knife to Dipper, who pocketed it along with the fork.  _Heavy, but small enough to hold in a hand. Like a brick or something._

Dipper looked around, but couldn't really find anything suitable in the kitchen. He did grab a full bottle of moonshine, though.  _If I have to do any hitting, I can do it with this, right?_

_You could, but that thing will probably break in a couple hits... actually, you know what? That works. I was going to tell you to get glass anyway. But I can tell you that one of the kids left a baseball bat in the same room Sir Martin is currently in. You'll be using that. Oh, you know what? Grab that salt._

As Dipper picked up the shaker, he began to think about the various things he could do to someone using these items. They seemed mundane, but he could still seriously hurt someone with them. And not just hurt them... but hurt them slowly and messily. He shuddered and turned to leave the kitchen.

A small mass in the doorway made him jump back. The steak knife was almost out of his pocket again when he realized it was just a cat.

The cat looked at him with calculating green eyes, meowed, and walked in to start rubbing along his legs. He gently nudged it aside with a foot and kept walking, but now the dogs were awake and getting up. They were watching him, sniffing and growling.

Before any could start barking, he tugged a glove off and held his hand out so they could get his scent. The biggest of the dogs, a brown pit bull, accepted it and merely continued to look at him, and the little Chihuahua decided to run into another room. The poodle, meanwhile, was not pleased with his presence. It was still growling at him, and when he tried to pet it, it bit his finger.

“Ow, you stupid-” He almost kicked it, but stomped his foot back down at the last moment. Unfortunately, that's where the dog's paw happened to be.

The poodle yelped and fled, and he heard the distant TV go silent.

_And that would be Martin coming to check on his dog. But hey, luckily for you, his family is asleep._

Dipper put his glove back on, grabbed a dish towel, and headed for the living room. He ran into the man as he was walking into the hall, and did the first thing he could think of to do. He slammed the heavy bottle of alcohol into the side of his head.

Martin fell onto his knees, just barely managing to catch himself with a hand. To Dipper's surprise, the bottle didn't break. He hit him again to knock him back, and Bill floated down to hover above him.

“Sir Martin,” he greeted him.

The man scrambled backward, covering his temple with a hand as a bruise started to form.

“Cipher,” he gasped.

“Long time no see.” Bill gestured to Dipper, pointing out the bat he had mentioned earlier. As the boy went to get it, he continued, “I see that wealth and intellect have been treating you well. That TV has to be at least eighty inches.”

Speechless from fear, Martin only kept trying to back up, but his back soon hit a couch.

Dipper returned with the bat, standing next to Bill with the strong, threatening stance he has learned to adopt over these past weeks. In his other hand he held the bottle, which had a spiderweb of cracks on it now. With his face cast in shadow by his hood, he knew he must look intimidating. Martin visibly shivered.

“You were clever, I'll give you that,” Bill said. “Your magic was just strong enough to keep me away for years. But you made a mistake moving back here, mere hours from my favorite residence. And not only that, but leaving your protection behind. I am here to collect what you owe me. As well as punish you for cheating me like you did.”

“Mr. Cipher, be reasonable,” Martin stuttered. He cleared his throat, and said, “Surely one with your power already has unimaginable wealth already? Why do you truly need anything from me?”

“Pine Tree,” Bill prompted, and Dipper smashed the bottle against the man's head again, finally shattering it. The dark alcohol drenched Martin and flowed down onto the pristine carpet, and pieces of glass stuck in his skin. Martin gasped in pain and recoiled, trying to dig the glass out. Dipper dropped the neck of the bottle.

While Martin panted softly and tugged at the glass, Bill answered, “I don't care about the money itself. I care about the energy I gain from a completed transaction. Our deal was never complete because you never gave me what you promised me. And more than that. You never intended to complete it. You defied me. Ran from me. After everything I did for you. You became rich and famous! You were knighted! And yet you couldn't do something as simple as give me a small portion of your riches? You selfish, deceitful human! It's time to teach you what happens when you lie to get what you want! Pine Tree, put that bat to good use. But don't kill him.”

“Ya know, selfish and deceitful kinda describes you,” Dipper said as he brought the bat down on the man's head.

There was a crack, and Bill yelled, “Hey, no more head wounds, you're going to kill him if you keep that up!”

“Oh, sorry.” Dipper swung it into the other's shoulder instead, knocking him over onto the floor. He groaned, collapsing.

“And you've knocked him out. Fantastic.” Bill sighed and leaned down, reaching out a hand to wake him up.

As he did, they heard a small voice nearby.

“Daddy?”

Dipper and Bill whipped around to see a young girl, probably about six years old, standing in the doorway. She was holding a teddy bear and squinting in the low light being cast by the TV.

“His daughter, Elisa,” Bill said quietly. “I'll take care of this. You block Sir Martin from her view.”

Dipper knelt down in front of Martin to hide him, while Bill floated over to the girl.

“Who are you?” she asked, scared.

“Hi, Elisa,” Bill said cheerfully. “My name's Bill. I'm a dream demon.”

“A dream... demon?”

“Yep. I help people sleep! And I can control their dreams!”

“Are you like a fairy?”

“Uh... more like the Sandman. Seriously, I'm really good at making people fall asleep, you really should go to bed.”

“I want orange juice,” she complained, stomping her foot down.

Dipper grinned at Bill. “Well, go on, get her some orange juice.”

Bill turned to him. “I think I'm above such menial tasks, I will not-”

“Orange juice, orange juice!” Elisa was waving her teddy bear around now, managing to hit Bill in the eye with it.

“Ow! Okay, fine, you brat. But after this you're going right to bed if I have to drag you there.”

“Yay! Orange fairy!” She ran from the room. Bill sighed and followed her.

Dipper could not keep himself from grinning as he heard rattling in the kitchen. After a few minutes, Bill came back and sighed. “Kids.”

“Don't you want one of your own?”

“No, never. Anyway once the kid drank her juice, I took her to her room-”

“Wait, did you carry her?”

Bill gave him a dirty look. “Yes, but-”

Dipper started laughing at that mental image.

“Shut up, I had to get her away! She's far too young to see what's about to happen!”

“Did you tuck her into bed?” Dipper teased.

“No, I dropped her onto it and made her fall asleep. Can we please get back to the matter at hand?”

“Oh, fine.” Dipper moved over so Bill could kneel next to him, using his magic to wake Martin up. He blinked as he pushed himself up, but when he saw the other two so close to him, he flinched and tried to punch Dipper.

The boy blocked his fist with his forearm, grimacing; he had quite a bit of strength to him. But he was woozy, and they were going to use that to their advantage.

“In the old days, punishments were often delivered in the form of beatings,” Bill said. Dipper lifted the bat. “Let's see how many you can take before you pass out from the pain.”

At Bill's prompting, Dipper began hitting the other in the chest and side with the bat, smacking his arms down every time he raised them to defend himself. His exposed skin was soon a massacre of bruises, and he took to covering his face in case his attacker decided to strike higher. Dipper used this as an opportunity to strike at Martin's ribs.

Above the dull sound of metal against flesh, Bill said, “You will suffer for how you've wronged me. And this, Sir Martin, is only the beginning.”


	10. Getting Under His Skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating twice in a day because I am full of motivation and I'm sure the last chapter got you pumped up. Enjoy the carnage.

Dipper struck at the older man with the bat until he fainted again, at which point he dropped it and took out the dish towel, tying it over his mouth to gag him. Then he moved aside so Bill could wake him up again.

“Weak, Sir Martin,” Bill commented, staring without mercy into the other's terrified eyes. “I really feel no pity for you. This beating is barely sufficing... bruises heal.”

“I'm pretty sure I've broken at least one of his ribs by now,” Dipper pointed out.

“Probably. You should break more bones. Let's start easy.” Bill grabbed one of Martin's wrists and tugged it, laying his hand flat on the floor. “Go on, kid.”

Dipper took in a reassuring breath, then slammed the tip of the bat straight down onto a finger as hard as he could. There was a sickening crack, and a muffled groan from the other. He pulled the bat up and brought it down onto another finger.

Bill closed his eye, enjoying the pained grunts.

Once Dipper was done with the fingers, he started to hit the entire hand, but Bill stopped him. “That'll do. Come on, Martin, why don't you fight back?”

The man glared at them with hate, pushing himself up with the uninjured hand, but Dipper simply stood and kicked him solidly in the chest, bringing him right back down.

Martin coughed, curling up slightly.

“The old ones really aren't much fun,” Bill mused. “Ah well. Hey, why don't you use your fists to rough up that handsome face of his?”

As much as Dipper didn't like using his own hands, he wasn't going to disobey. He just tried to pretend this was someone he really, really hated, and punched him in the eye. When the other struggled, he shoved him down onto his back and sat on his stomach, pinning him as he beat him with both fists.

Bill laughed nearby, practically cheering Dipper on. “Yes, yes, left hook! Uppercut! Get him right in the nose- that's it!”

Dipper repressed a shudder as his next blow broke Martin's nose, and blood began pouring out of both nostrils. His knuckles were starting to hurt despite how his gloves provided padding. He felt something touch his leg and turned to see that the man was trying to punch him back, but was unable to get a good angle from his current position. Dipper grabbed that arm, closed his eyes, and imagined it was a stick as he broke it.

The other jerked, and if the towel wasn't there, he certainly would have screamed. When Dipper let go of his arm, it fell limply to the carpet.

“Nice. Incapacitate him so he won't struggle during the real fun,” Bill said with approval.

Dipper breathed in deeply, collecting himself. Stuff like this was still hard for him to do, but he knew he had to get used to it. It wasn't going to stop any time soon... in fact, it would only get harder. To give himself some time, he glanced around to make sure they were still alone.

He saw one of the cats laying down nearby, its eyes glinting as it watched him. But it seemed pretty calm. The dogs were nowhere to be found.

“Uh... dogs?” he questioned Bill.

“They followed me when I took the girl to her room,” Bill replied. “I knocked them out too. Too much trouble. But cats are chill. These ones apparently don't like him much.”

“Ah, good.” Dipper looked back down, seeing that their victim had tears in his eyes. Several trickles of blood were running down his face and dripping to the carpet. He was still shifting, occasionally kicking his legs, but it was obvious he didn't have much energy. “Now what?”

“Get out that fork. And the knife.”

Dipper took the items out. As he put the salt shaker nearby, a thought occurred, and his face grew pale. “Wait, am I gonna...”

“Ever heard of flaying, kid?”

“Oh. That's not as bad as I was thinking.”

“What were you thinking?”

“Heh. Well with the salt and silverware I thought that maybe you were gonna make me eat him or something.”

“Wow, no, I wouldn't do that. Gross. Human is so lacking in nutrition. The blood isn't bad though. All right, now here's what you're going to do.” Bill used their mental connection to quickly explain it to him.

Dipper covered his mouth. _You're really going to make me flay him?_

_Yep! Go on, try it! Use the knife for cutting the skin open, and the fork to peel it off! As easy as cutting a fresh piece of meat for dinner!_

Dipper's stomach churned, but he grabbed one of Martin's arms and held it flat against the floor, lowering the blade of the steak knife to it. He pressed it in, feeling the usual resistance, and then the skin tore open. Blood flowed out, and Dipper cut a little further in, then withdrew the knife, pushing the skin up and inserting the fork instead. He could hear muffled cries from the other, and there was movement behind him as Bill went to grab Martin's other arm to keep him from reaching up to tear his gag off. He inhaled and pushed the tongs of the fork in further, trying to rip the skin up, but it only stretched.

“You can push harder than that,” Bill said. “Pretend you're raking it across the surface of his arm, except it's not on the surface. Don't hold back on this guy!”

Dipper harshly yanked the fork back, and it tore up a strip of flesh along with it. He felt bile in the back of his throat at the sight of red muscle and yellowish fat, but kept pulling. It was to the man's wrist when he finally took the knife and cut it free. Lifting the stretch of skin, he stared at it, and quickly dropped it.

“See? Not so hard. Wow, look at all that blood. Take off some more.”

Dipper started again to the side of the first strip, able to do it more quickly now. Martin was panting and squirming, trying to kick him with more vigor now, as adrenaline and fear pumped through him.

One of the kicks caught Dipper in the side, and he winced, turning to stab his leg. “Stop that!”

“We really should have tied him up,” Bill commented.

“Could you paralyze him or something?”

“Certainly.” Bill slid his hand under Martin's neck, and the man lost the ability to move anything below his head.

“Can he still feel this?” Dipper asked as he cut another chunk of skin off.

Bill glanced at Martin as he squeezed his eyes shut. “Yes. Perfectly.”

“How long am I supposed to do this for?” Dipper asked, tilting Martin's arm and cutting a larger incision so he could tear off a bigger piece.

“Until I get bored. I can tell he's already regretting everything... of course, he should have thought about that years ago. Right, Sir Martin?” Bill reached up to tear the towel away from his mouth, and he immediately began begging.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,” he said, voice choking up. As Dipper used the fork to hack skin away, he shouted. “Please stop, please, I'll give you whatever you want, anything!”

“Too late for that. I don't take kindly to people like you. You deserve what you're getting. Take solace in the fact that at least I'm not gonna kill you. You're just gonna wish you're dead. Oh, and before we leave, I will be taking whatever I want. Since you so graciously said I could.”

When Dipper set aside the strip of skin, Bill said to him, “Hey, here's something fun. Why don't you sprinkle some of that salt in there?”

Just thinking about that made Dipper hesitate, but he picked it up and tapped salt out into the bloody wounds.

Martin screamed, and Dipper almost covered his mouth, but Bill said, “Nah, let his family come.”

“Even the kids?”

“Especially the kids.”

Dipper smirked, not paying much attention to what he was doing as he poured out more salt. Hearing screams and crying had become common by now. “So much for you being child-friendly.”

“I said I would try not to hurt the kids. I never said anything about keeping them from being traumatized. You know, you can do much larger pieces than that. Here, practice on this arm.”

As Dipper shifted over to start cutting into the other arm, which happened to be the broken one, Martin yelled again, this time clearly for his wife. Whose name was apparently Elizabeth.

“Aw, they must have named their daughter for her,” Bill said. “So sweet. Well, I made little Elisa fall asleep, so she probably won't be coming in here to see this. But the son... if he does, oh well.”

“How old is he?” Dipper asked.

“Let me think... eleven, probably? Yes, that's it. Eleven.”

“Think he'll try to fight with us?”

“Probably. But a child won't be able to do anything to us.”

As Dipper was pulling the last bit of skin from Martin's broken arm, there were rapid footsteps, and a woman in a nightgown slid into the room holding a twelve-gauge shotgun, flicking the lights on. Upon seeing the state of her husband, she backpedaled, crying out his name. Nonetheless, she pumped the gun and took aim.

“Whoa, hold on there, Liz!” Bill threw his arm up, and an invisible force ripped the gun from her hands and threw it across the room. She tried to run after it, but he moved his arm in the other direction and tossed her against the wall.

“Marty!” she cried, trying to get up. “Who are you?! What are you doing?!” Tears rolled down her cheeks and she sobbed as Dipper casually pressed the fork into Martin's exposed muscle, giving it a twist that had him howling in agony.

“Your husband made a deal with me long ago to obtain his intelligence,” Bill explained. “He used it to become a very successful businessman and gain wealth. I had done this with the promise that he would pay me back with a portion of his earnings. Well, he had lied to me. Lied and fled far away, and put up protections that even I couldn't get past. Now that he's back here, and without that protection, I'm collecting the debt.”

“W-what... what are you?”

“You can call me a demon. And this guy?” Bill gestured to Dipper, who raised the blood-soaked knife in salute. “He's my repo man.”

Dipper chuckled. “Hey, should I do legs next?”

“You can if you want. But you know what you should do? See that glass from the broken bottle?”

“Yeah.”

“Take a shard of that, and shove it under a fingernail.”

That sounded horrifying. Dipper was simultaneously disgusted and excited by the idea. He put the silverware down and picked a piece of glass up.

Elizabeth sank back against the wall, clutching her knees to her chest. “A-are you going to kill him?”

“No, we'll leave him alive,” Bill answered. “Barely. As for you... You did nothing wrong. We aren't going to touch you.”

“You... you won't get away with this... We'll find you and you'll get locked up for this!”

“I doubt that. I'm not human and my partner is... well, he's very sneaky. He knows how to leave no evidence. He hides his face and covers himself to prevent DNA from being left behind. He's even more clever than your husband, dear lady. And he didn't have to make a deal with a demon to become that way. Now, you stay right there and enjoy the show.”

Dipper pushed the glass under the nail of Martin's index finger. Despite his induced paralysis, he managed to jolt, crying out. Pushing harder, Dipper was rewarded with more blood. He angled it up, scraping it against the nail itself, tearing the skin underneath in the process.

He probably could have taken the nail off, but decided it be more painful to leave it like that. He moved on to the next finger.

“Please, stop!” Martin wailed. “Haven't you done enough?!”

“I don't think we've gone far enough,” Bill replied. “What do you think, Pine Tree?”

Dipper looked down at the man, his skin-less arms covered in blood, the strange shape of his broken nose, one eye swollen shut, bruises covering his neck and face... and probably the rest of him, but his pajama pants and shirt prevented them from seeing that. It really should be affecting Dipper more to see how wounded he was, and to know that it was because of him... but he really has grown desensitized to it. Maybe that was for the best.

“Honestly... I think he'd look good with some burns.” The moment the words left his mouth, Dipper wondered where the hell that came from. But before he could really question himself, Bill laughed gleefully.

“Wow, okay! Let me go microwave a bottle of vegetable oil! You keep pushing that glass under his nails!” Bill flew from the room, and Dipper returned to his task, still trying to figure out why he had thought that. Up until now, he just attacked these people and did whatever Bill told him, he didn't offer suggestions... was he more than just tolerating this now? Was he starting to enjoy it?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elizabeth get up and run for the shotgun, and he quickly threw his hand out, grasping at the magic that still barely obeyed him, and commanding it to stop her. Like reaching with a third arm, he grabbed her around the middle and yanked her back, throwing her to the floor. He released the magic and instantly felt dizzy, but he shook it off.

“I wouldn't do that again, if I were you,” he warned. She rubbed her elbow where it had hit the ground, sniffing and crawling toward the doorway. She huddled there, watching him through wide eyes, scared but unable to look away.

Dipper tuned back into Martin's crying as he realized he was still asking him to stop. He was even offering him money, jewelry, a car, whatever he wanted, just no more.

“Sorry man, it's not up to me,” he said. “I do what Bill tells me to. But hey, after this, you can tell everyone why this happened. Some will think you're crazy, but others will understand. And if they ever decide to summon Bill, maybe they'll make wiser choices.” He pushed a shard in particularly roughly. “Funny how many wise-men are still fools.”

Bill returned with a pot, which was filled with a thick, bubbling yellow liquid.

“Did you microwave a metal pot?” Dipper asked incredulously.

“Am I not supposed to do that?”

Dipper eyed the warped edges to it and shrugged. “Eh, it's not our problem. You think that'll do the trick?”

“Yep! Hot oil is an excellent torture device! Unbutton his shirt.”

Dipper dropped the glass he was holding and pulled the pajama shirt open. He could see that the bruises did indeed cover more of his body. And on top of that, every time he breathed in, he could see an unevenness on one of his sides. Some of his ribs were broken, then.

“No, no don't!” Elizabeth screamed, realizing what they were about to do. She started to get up, but with a flick of the hand, Bill sent her to her knees again.

Dipper held Martin down as he renewed his struggling with even more panic, and as Bill started tilting the pot, he began to have misgivings. Was this going too far?

Then the boiling oil dripped out, sizzling as it hit the skin, and the man jumped like a frog in hot water. Dipper wrapped an arm around his neck, cutting off his air so he couldn't fight as easily. And it had the added benefit of preventing him from yelling.

Bill twisted his wrist just a little further, turning the drips into a steady trickle. The oil splashed down onto the skin and ran down, leaving angry red lines behind, the skin growing inflamed.

It became extremely difficult for Dipper to hold on to him, but Bill casually reached down with a hand and pinned Martin's legs down, also channeling magic into him to force his muscles to still.

Dipper bit his lip and looked away as the skin began to first flake away, and then tear open.

“Oh, this is going to need some serious skin grafts,” Bill laughed maniacally.

Dipper felt Martin go even more limp, and looked down at his face. He had passed out again.

Bill scoffed and carelessly dumped the rest of the oil onto him before throwing the pan aside. “Well that's boring. Now what?”

“We go home,” Dipper said hopefully, letting go of the other. This was too much, even for him.

“Hmm... nah. There's gotta be one more thing... oh, I got it. This will be great.” Bill handed him the steak knife. “Why don't you cut out his appendix?”

“His... what?!”

“The appendix, you know, that useless thing at the end of the intestine that's not actually used for anything because you evolved beyond the need for it but if it ruptures it's bad news... yeah, just rip that thing out of him. Come on, it'll be fun.”

Dipper stared at the knife in his hand, and back at Bill. “I can't just... I'm not going to remove an organ from someone! I don't know anything about surgery, I'd probably end up killing him!”

“Not if you do it quickly.” Bill leaned down and pressed a finger to a spot below Martin's belly. “If you make an incision right along here, you can just reach right in there and tug it out, and cut it away from the intestine. Easy. And hey, as long as he or his wife holds something to the wound, he won't bleed out before paramedics arrive. Probably. Go on, it'll be fun.”

“No, that's sick. I am not doing that.”

Bill's tone quickly changed from amused to dangerous. “Are you defying me?”

Dipper sighed, and said, “I guess I am.”

“This is not the time to be brass with me, boy. You cut that man's appendix out right now, and not only that, but I'm also going to make you eat it. You are not in any position to be defying me, and I'm going to make sure you know that!”

“I've done enough to him, Bill!” Dipper stood up, throwing down the knife and stalking out of the room. Before he did, he turned to Elizabeth and said, “Call 911 right now or he's going to die, he's lost a lot of blood and those are third degree burns.” While she ran out, he went outside. He soon broke into a run, not sure if Bill was following him or not. Reaching the fence's gate, he found it could be activated from this side, and hit the switch. He slid through the moment it was open wide enough, and ran to his car. Bill was nowhere in sight, but he knew the demon could get back to Gravity Falls in his own ways. He threw the transmission into drive and took off, trying to ignore the tears stinging his eyes.


	11. Falling Star

The Sun was coming up by the time Dipper got back to the Mystery Shack. He parked close to the building and turned the car off. Before getting out, he made sure the gloves he had worn earlier were put away in the duffel bag in the back seat, and removed his hoodie, which was covered in blood as it usually was every night. He left that in the bag as well, and checked the shirt he was wearing underneath. It was clean, but his pants were stained. He had to climb into the backseat for a few minutes to change into a clean pair of shorts that he always kept just in case.

During the course of the drive he had calmed down, but he was still annoyed over what Bill had tried to make him do. He had limits. Yes, Bill was going to make him kill one day, and he was prepared for that to happen. But torturing someone in front of their wife to the point they lost consciousness, and then taking it even further by cutting into them to remove an organ... no. He wasn't ready for that.

Once he was done changing, he got out of the car and headed toward the house.

He hadn't seen or heard Bill either since he left. He wondered where the demon had gone, or if he would be waiting for him inside. No doubt he would be punished for this in some way. He had defied him. Bill could be calm and even funny when Dipper was on his side, but when he questioned him, that cheerfulness could turn to fury in a heartbeat. There would be punishment for what he did. The only question was when.

As he walked up to the door, he heard a scream from inside that he instantly recognized as Mabel's. “Mabel?” He didn't get a response, and threw the door open and ran in. “Mabel!” He raced through the living room and found her in the kitchen, lying on the floor next to one of the counters. A few boxes laid around her, which he knew were from one of the higher cabinets in the room. Had she climbed up onto the counter to reach better and slipped?

He rolled her over and saw a gash on the side of her head, and that her eyes were closed. Fearful, he shook her.

“Mabel, wake up!”

She groaned softly, eyelids flickering, and raised a hand to press to the gash. She flinched and opened her eyes. “Dipper?”

“What happened?” he asked, quickly finding a towel to hand her.

She held it to the cut, which was bleeding now. “It was nothing, I just... couldn't reach something in the very back of the cabinet, so I climbed up onto the counter to get to it, and... my knee just slipped out from under me. I... I think I hit the edge on the way down? It's hard to remember. My head hurts.”

“Okay, yeah, you did hit something. Just keep holding that against your head, you have a pretty big cut.”

“Should I go to the hospital?” she asked worriedly.

“Maybe. It might need stitches. And you could have a concussion.” Dipper glanced over as Stan entered the room.

“What happened, I heard a scream,” he said.

Dipper gestured to Mabel. “Mabel fell off the counter.”

“Ah, kid, I told you to be careful when you do that.” He came over to check the damage.

She snorted. “I've been doing this for years. Just... my knee slipped. I think the counter was wet or something, I don't know.”

He gently lifted her hand so he could look, and said, “We probably should take you to the emergency room. Just to make sure this will be okay.”

Dipper helped her up. She wavered slightly, but shook her head and pulled from his grip. “I'm fine, really.”

“At the very least, a cut that size could get infected. They could give us medicine.” He slid his arm through hers. “Come on, let's go to the hospital.”

“What about the Shack?” she asked.

“We can open it later. That doesn't matter right now,” Stan replied. “Let's go.”

“Okay... Dipper, my phone's in my room, can you go grab it for me?”

“Sure.” He left her with Stan and headed for the stairs. As he was entering Mabel's room, there was a flash of light and Bill appeared next to him.

“Hey kid, you're finally home,” he said.

Dipper didn't even jump, used to Bill's random appearances. “Yeah. Hey, sorry I ran off like that, I just... wasn't ready to-”

Bill cut him off with a wave of the hand. “Oh, no big deal! I totally understand! You'll just do it next time!”

“Yeah, next time.” Dipper found Mabel's phone and picked it up.

“I saw your sister take that fall. Is she okay?”

“She should be, but she may need stitches.”

Bill nodded thoughtfully. “Good. That must have been scary to see, huh?”

“Definitely.”

“Especially after you had that little dispute with me, huh? That's a lot of stress in one day.”

Dipper gave him a sideways look. “Bill...”

“I sure hope nothing worse happens to her. There are so many ways she could accidentally hurt herself around here, you know... Since you're not around as much to protect her...”

The way Bill said 'accidentally' made Dipper realize, “You pushed her, didn't you?”

“Pushed her? Of course not! Why would I hurt your dear sister?” Bill laughed, but the look he gave him was not amused. “People have accidents, Pine Tree. We really can't control that. But I think you'll find that the more you refuse to do as I tell you, the more little accidents Shooting Star will have. Entirely coincidental, of course...”

“You son of a bitch.” Dipper's arm was almost up before he remembered himself, and lowered it.

Bill didn't miss his clenched fist, though. “Oh, were you going to punch me, Pine Tree?” He floated closer to him, grasping his chin and lifting it. “So feisty. I like that about you. But keep that energy directed toward our enemies, not me.”

“If you were in a human body right now I would have punched you,” Dipper growled, pulling away. “Because then I know it'd hurt you.”

“If I were in a human body right now, I would have punched you back. And you wouldn't be getting up for a while. Actually, I could do that in this form perfectly easily. I just don't feel like it. You've served me well so far. You've earned my appreciation. You do not want to lose it.”

There were so many things Dipper could probably yell at him right now, most of them expletives. But he said none of it, instead just sighing and walking toward the door. “And why do I need your appreciation? I'm just your slave. Either way, I'll do what you tell me to.”

“Because it comes with benefits. Like those little magic lessons I've been giving you. Like me answering your questions honestly instead of ignoring them. I like you, Dipper.”

Hearing the demon speak his actual name was enough to get Dipper to look over at him.

“I like you, and I want you to like me, because that'll make all of this so much easier. Listen, you've been handling this well on your own. But it's clear that some things still repulse you too much to do them. What'll happen when I want you to actually kill someone? Will you refuse then too?”

“I... I don't know, I guess it depends on how you want me to do it... I don't think I could do a very messy job like you want most of the time...”

“But you know if you don't do what I want, you aren't the only one that will pay for it, right?”

Dipper stopped in the doorway and just leaned against it, wanting this conversation to be over. “Right.”

“So I have a proposal. How about I just hop into your head and... alter your perception on things? I can push a few... let's call them wires around, connect some things differently, and all of a sudden this will become much, much easier.”

“You want to brainwash me so I won't feel remorse for any of this.”

“Exactly.”

Dipper thought about it, then shook his head. “No. I don't want you changing me like that.”

“It's hardly a change! You'll still be entirely yourself, you'll just lose your empathy! For strangers, that is. You'll still love your sister. You'll love your friends and family just as much as you always have. But when we get out there and are dealing with the people who have wronged me, you'll understand that they deserve it. And you'll punish them without any regret whatsoever.”

“Even if that punishment is killing them?”

“You'll think nothing of it. I promise.” Bill held out his hand, and the offer was so tempting, but Dipper was still unsure. This still sounded like brainwashing, and he didn't like it. He lifted his hand a little, but a shout from downstairs stopped him.

“Dipper, hurry up, we're about to leave!” Stan yelled.

“Coming!” He lowered his hand. “Ask me later. We're taking Mabel to the hospital.”

Bill shrugged and moved aside. “She'll be fine. This time.”

Dipper gave him a dirty look as he pushed past him, going downstairs.

When the boy disappeared from view, Bill crossed his arms and narrowed his eye. “You will change your perception, kid,” he muttered. “One way or another.”

 

Despite how much the gash bled, Mabel ended up only needing some stitches. An x-ray was done and it was determined that she didn't have a concussion, which was a relief. Dipper held her hand as the doctor carefully sowed up the wound. If it hurt, Mabel didn't really show it, just staring off into space.

Then the doctor finished and let her sit up. “There you are. You'll need to keep those in for a few weeks, try not to scratch at them or rub them. They'll dissolve into your skin once the wound is healed. Make sure you still clean that area, though. You don't want to get an infection.”

“Okay.” She almost rubbed the spot before remembering what he had said, and put her hand down. She leapt down from the table and allowed Dipper to rest an arm around her for support, though by now, she was fully alert and maybe even a little amused over what happened.

After being given some more instructions by the doctor, they were allowed to leave. As they headed for Stan's car, Mabel laughed.

“This was so silly,” she said. “I'm always out there fighting monsters with Dipper, and the thing that sends me to the hospital is falling off the counter! I feel like a clumsy old lady.”

“It could have been worse,” Dipper pointed out. “You could have landed on your head.”

“Yeah, but I didn't. Gosh, now I'm really hungry, though. Can we go get pancakes?”

“I don't see why not,” Stan replied.

Once they were in the car and buckled, Mabel said to Dipper, “So where were you this morning? Your car was gone.”

He gave her a look, mouthing, “Bill.” Her eyes widened and she quickly nodded in understanding, but Stan spoke up.

“Yeah, where were you?” he asked.

“Oh, uh... you know.” Dipper tried to think of a convincing lie. “I like going out for late drives. I like being alone.”

“You can be alone in your room. You're always disappearing in the middle of the night, I know because I can hear your car when you leave, and I'll go upstairs to check on you and you're gone. Usually you're back by the time I wake up, but this time, you weren't. So where were you, really?”

He bit his lip, looking at Mabel for help. She spread her hands helplessly.

“Uh... I secretly sneak into nightclubs!” he said.

Mabel raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. Stan actually turned to glance back at him for a moment. “How? You're not eighteen yet. In fact, some of those make you be 21.”

“Um... I use a fake ID?”

Stan stared at him through the rearview mirror, and Dipper offered a cheeky grin. Then the man laughed. “I can respect that! But be careful, you get found out and it'll probably be a night in jail, at least! And don't expect me to spend the money to bail you out.”

“Heh. Don't worry, it's very convincing.” Dipper sighed and looked out the window. At least Stan had believed that.

“I was wondering where you were always getting off to, I thought you were in a gang or doing drugs or something. And you've just been off... what, dancing and drinking?”

“Hey, I don't drink,” Dipper said honestly. “I just go there to dance. I uh... like raves.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Just don't drink, and especially don't take any drugs. Hell, maybe you'll finally get a girlfriend at one of those places.”

“Assuming I'm even into girls,” Dipper muttered, to an amused snort from Mabel.

Stan heard, though. “Or a boyfriend, then, I don't know. You need something, though.”

“I dunno, Stan,” Mabel said. “This is Dipper we're talking about. He'll probably bring home a harpy.”

“Harpies are actually very nice ladies. You just gotta get over the wrinkly skin and dirty feathers.”

Dipper blushed in embarrassment. “I'm not gonna bring home a harpy.”

“Nah, we're just messing with you.” She gave him a nudge. “It'll probably end up being a demon, huh?”

Dipper's thoughts immediately went to Bill, and he blushed harder. “Mabel!”

That one got Stan roaring. “Yeah, probably! And I've been to some of those clubs, a demon's the least weird thing you'll probably find in there!”

There was no point in protesting anymore. Dipper just shrugged and leaned back against the seat. “Sure. But yes, I'm just going clubbing, I'm not doing anything you need to worry about.”

“Okay but if you meet a lovely lady, or gentleman, or whatever else... make sure you bring them home to meet us.”

Dipper rolled his eyes. “Sure. That'll totally happen.”

Mabel leaned close to whisper in his ear, “Even though I know what you're really doing, I'm still expecting you to tell us you're dating Bill any day now.”

“God, no!” He moved away from her. While she laughed, he glared out the window.

A soft but familiar voice spoke up in the back of his mind. _You act as if that would be so terrible._

Great, even Bill was making fun of him now. He grumbled and rested his head against the glass. He really needed a nap after all this...


	12. A Change of Mind

Upon returning to the Shack, they opened it up for business and apologized to a waiting bus of tourists. They were mad until Mabel pointed at the stitches on her head, and they immediately told her how sorry they were and sure they'll totally buy extra merchandise and tip everyone.

Dipper took them on the usual tour, and when he brought them back into the Shack, almost everyone bought something and pushed dollar bills into the hands of every employee. Even Soos, much to his confusion and delight.

“Keep it coming, people,” Mabel sang as she rang up purchases. “I gotta pay the hospital bill somehow.”

“She gets it from me,” Stan said proudly, watching from the door of his office.

Dipper laughed. “Yeah, she could totally run this place on her own.”

“No, not entirely on her own.” Stan clapped Dipper's back. “But both of you certainly could. You know, we're more than halfway through the summer... uh, you're graduating from high school next year, aren't you?”

“Yep!”

“Got any plans for future careers? College or whatever? Because... if not, I'd... love for you two to stay here after next summer. I won't be around for much longer, and... someone's got to keep taking care of this old place.” Stan set his hand on the doorframe. “It's what my brother would want.”

“Oh. Well...” Dipper thought about it, and heard Bill's voice in his mind.

_Do it, kid! You know how much you love this town!_

“Couldn't Soos do it?” Dipper asked. “You know how much he loves it here.”

“Nothing against Soos, but I don't think he could run a business. He's not responsible enough for that. The man barely remembers to pay his bills on time.”

“Yeah, but he's getting better. I'm sure he could take care of the Shack.”

“I just really think you two would be the best people to inherit it. You're both so happy here. Especially you. You love this town.”

“I do like it here. More than California, actually. And I would love to be able to live here permanently. But... I don't think Mabel would. She wants to go to this school for graphic design and she's really pumped about it. She could make a whole career out of it.”

“No, I totally understand. But you two don't have to stay together forever. You're growing up, soon you'll have to go your separate ways. That's just how adulthood is.”

Dipper looked at Mabel as she waved goodbye to some customers. How she laughed and showed her big smile, which prompted smiles in return. She had so much potential. He only wanted the best for her. And because of his deal with Bill, she could go and do whatever she wanted. Even if he had to be left behind. “Okay. I'll do it. I want to live here and work in the Shack after next summer.”

Stan clapped him on the back. “Perfect! Let's go see if your sister wants to.”

Once Mabel was done with the customers, the two approached her.

“I have a business proposal for you,” Stan said.

She tilted her head. “Oh?”

“How would you like to come live here next year and became one of the permanent owners of the Mystery Shack?”

“Permanent owner?” Her brows knit together.

“I'm getting old, sweetie. Someone needs to take care of this place when I'm gone. And you and your brother would be perfect for it. Not only does it bring in a good income, it has everything you need for living! There's the kitchen, living room, two bedrooms... that attic room could become a great study... and of course, the basement. For... Foosball, maybe?”

“That would be fun, but...” She shook her head. “I'm going to college next fall. I've already applied for a scholarship, and it's such a great school. And I know they'll accept me. I'll come back to visit, and maybe I'll move here when I'm done, but for a few years I'll be living in California.”

“Oh, that's okay, I understand.” Stan looked at Dipper. “Do you still want to stay here?”

He sighed, but nodded. “Yeah. I'll take care of this place for you, don't worry. We can just hire someone to help out once Mabel leaves.”

Mabel started to reply, but Soos came into the room at that moment. “Hey, so I was just not eavesdropping on you dudes, and heard that you may need to hire someone when Mabel leaves. Well, Melody is having issues at her current job, so... if you want to, maybe, take a look at her resume...”

Dipper smiled and put a hand on the other's shoulder. “I would love to hire her. But it won't be up to me until next year. Unless, of course, Stan wants to give her a chance.”

Stan gave a small smile. "Sure. Why not? Tell her to come talk to me in August once these brats are gone."

“Cool! Yeah, her boss is just being a total jerk to her all the time.”

 _I could make sure he has a happy little accident,_ Bill commented.

“Sorry to hear that,” Dipper said, trying to ignore the little flare of anger Bill's comment gave him. “I'd definitely consider hiring her if it were up to me."

“Yeah, your wife's got a pretty good head on her shoulders,” Stan agreed. “And best it be someone we know, rather than some stranger that might steal from the cash register when we're not looking.”

Dipper saw that some new people were lingering in the gift shop now, near the 'tour starts here' sign, and said, “I gotta give these people a tour.”

“All right, get to it. I need to fix some things on the website. With tourist season in it's peak, I'm gonna raise a few prices. More stuff's being bought, supply and demand, it's basic economics.” Stan returned to his office, Soos headed outside to take care of a minor weed problem, and Dipper approached the group.

Another tour wasn't scheduled to start for thirty minutes, so he went ahead and accepted payment and gave everyone question mark stickers. They were both cute and an indicator that someone has already paid for a tour. It was Mabel's idea. Then he invited them to look around the shop on their own for a little bit.

Even though he wasn't much of a people person, he decided he could do this for a living. Though... maybe with slightly adjusted hours. He had to be able to juggle this with working for Bill, after all.

 _No problem,_ Bill said. _You could do this for part of the day, do my work, and just take money or valuables from our victims to sell. Because once you start killing, well, they won't need it anymore._

_And when will I start killing?_

_Hmm... ya know what? I think it's gonna be tonight. I hope you're ready._

Dipper wasn't at all ready. But he looked at Mabel, at the stitching on her head he could still somewhat see despite her trying to change her hairstyle to hide it, and knew he would do anything to keep her safe. Bill wouldn't hesitate to hurt her to punish him. So he wasn't going to defy the demon, ever again. For her sake. _I'm ready._

 

When the Mystery Shack was closed for the day, Dipper was finally able to go out to his car to retrieve his duffel bag. After scrubbing down his hoodie and pants with hydrogen peroxide to break up the dried blood, he tossed it and his regular clothes into the washing machine. While that was running, he worked on cleaning his gloves off. Why had he chosen leather ones? Those couldn't just be thrown into the machine with the other clothes...

He talked to Bill while he worked, gathering some information on who he was going after. It was someone who lived in Gravity Falls, but not anyone Dipper knew. Their house was close to the edge of town and they didn't have any close neighbors. Like many people who made deals, they were lonely and miserable, willing to do anything for some happiness. Bill admitted that he didn't even do much for this person, but they were utterly useless and pathetic, so might as well kill them.

Dipper didn't really agree with that philosophy, but he didn't argue. At least he wouldn't have to kill this person in front of any family members. They did apparently have friends, but not many. And they weren't very close either.

“This guy didn't promise you much,” Dipper commented as Bill finished telling him about the man. “And yet you still think he deserves death?”

“Sure, why not. Most of those people I had you attack would be dead if I felt you were up to it, but I wanted you to work your way up to murder. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly forgiving.”

“Well, you are a demon. I don't expect you to be.”

“Exactly. And neither should they. I always tell them that souls and lives are the alternate payments I take. And I will always default to that if they don't deliver. Humans are so stupid and short-sighted, not thinking of the future, only thinking of the here and now... they don't realize that their actions have consequences. They assumed they can just do something and worry about it later. Well, the later is here, and it's angry.”

“Got any particular murder weapon for me to use?”

“I'm thinking... an ax. Yeah, that would be fun. Use an ax.”

Dipper sighed. “Okay...”

“Ah, cheer up, Pine Tree. It'll be fun. You'll see.”

Dipper set his clean gloves down to dry. “Remember when you offered to help me change my perspective on all this?”

“I sure do.”

“When you do, will I even be aware of the change? Will it feel wrong, or sudden?”

“Nope. It'll feel like a perfectly natural shift of opinion. You won't even question it.”

“And it'll make this job a lot easier, won't it?”

“Without a doubt. When you're knocking someone to the ground, you'll be excited about it. When you're pinning them down and slitting their throat, you'll believe they deserve it. You'll get up with a sense of justice. And you'll look forward to meeting your next victim.”

“Basically you're going to turn me into a sociopath.”

“Basically. And you'll be fine with it. You may even thank me for opening your eyes.” Bill held his hand out. “It'll only take moments. Just allow me to access your mind and change some key parts of your personality, and you'll never again feel regret or hesitation about any of this.”

“But I'll still be myself, right?” Dipper asked as he lifted his hand.

“You'll barely notice a difference. And the people you're close to won't notice at all. Trust me.”

Dipper took his hand. “All right. Fix me up, then.”

Bill tightened his grip, and disappeared from view. Dipper could sense him in his mind as a warmth as usual, except now there was a kind of tickling, as if water was streaming across his brain.

He could also hear Bill muttering a bit, and there were prods that were almost physical, but not quite. It was hard to describe, but he was fully aware that the demon was moving things around.

A few more seconds later, Bill was in front of him again, stretching. “Whoo, that was pretty easy. Your mind was already more corrupted than you thought. Must have been from hanging around with me all the time. That tends to happen when you're always standing in a demon's aura. So how do you feel?”

“I don't feel any different.”

“So that Chad guy I just told you about, how does he make you feel?”

“He's an absolute waste of oxygen that no one is going to miss, we should kill him and rob him of everything of value.” When Dipper finished speaking, his eyes widened slightly. That... was not what he would normally say.

Bill laughed. “Perfect, it worked! You're fixed!”

“Is... this really being fixed, though? That's kinda awful.”

“Oh, you'll have some cognitive dissonance for a while... you have some pretty complex connections in your noggin. I couldn't completely persuade you that all this is perfectly okay... that happens with intelligent people. But you'll convince yourself soon enough. I'll even hazard a guess that you'll be completely fine with what you're doing as soon as you get this first kill out of your way. Just like when you first started hurting people.”

Dipper nodded, still feeling confused. And Bill could sense it.

“Oh boy... let me see if I can do anything else. You sure are resistant to my magic. Pretty impressive. Just relax and let me work.” Bill phased into him again. Dipper waited, feeling magic race through his body every so often, and it wasn't his own. When Bill returned, the feelings of confusion were gone. “That should do it.”

“Okay, I feel better now,” Dipper confessed.

“Good. So, what fate awaits those who betray me?”

“Uh... death.”

“And do they deserve that?”

“Yes.” Dipper still wasn't so sure, but he felt like maybe that was right. Those people did deal with a demon, after all. Should they expect any different? But now it seemed a lot easier to consider killing them for their betrayals. And judging by Bill's pleased little chuckle, that was exactly what the other wanted him to feel.

“Ah, you're still questioning it. But I can't do much more without completely breaking your mind, and what's the fun in that?” Bill reached down to run his hand through Dipper's hair, which didn't annoy the human as much as it usually would. “But I think once you get this first death out of the way, then it'll be easy.”

Dipper nodded a little, leaning into the touch. It was comforting, and he wasn't going to reject it. “What you did helped already. Really. I feel better about this.”

“Good to hear. I really look forward to seeing how this changes your behavior.”

“And I look forward to showing you that no matter what, I will be loyal to you.”

Bill slid his hand under Dipper's chin, lifting it. “I know you will be. Now go prove it.”


	13. An Ax To Grind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on feedback for the last chapter, the ending of it was slightly altered. Please go back and reread the updated version before continuing with this chapter. Thanks!

Dipper had been worried that this resident of Gravity Falls would end up being someone he knew, maybe not by name, but simply from passing them in the street, but they weren't even that familiar. He watched the man from his living room window just to get an idea of who he was dealing with, and decided he didn't recognize him at all.

“He doesn't get out much,” Bill explained. “He commutes to another city to work, then comes back and barricades himself into his home to drink and watch trashy romance movies. Why he decided to live here of all places, I'm not sure. Maybe he likes the atmosphere.”

“Or the forest,” Dipper suggested, nodding toward the trees nearby, which he would definitely be escaping into once he was finished.

“All right, let's get down to business. He's got no security systems, there's a mangy cat that may or may not be in the house (he leaves a window open for it) but it shouldn't cause any problems, and his diet is poor so he shouldn't be that strong. You can take him.”

“Well, no matter how strong you are, getting an ax buried in your neck would be kinda hard to survive,” Dipper commented, lifting the ax he had taken from the Mystery Shack. Usually meant for cutting wood, he had sharpened it earlier and it should do quite nicely for cutting bone.

“Good point. Okay, let me look at you.” Bill examined him. “Your face is hidden, you're wearing your gloves, no skin is visible... great, you're the perfect criminal! As usual I'll make sure no little things get left behind. Modern forensics analysts are incredible. Now put that ax to good use and break down his door.”

Dipper nodded and snuck around to the back door, where he was least likely to be seen by anyone that might still be out. He first tested the knob, but it was locked. So he slammed the blade of the ax through the wood, ripping the locking mechanism out of place. He was kicking the door open before the metal even hit the ground.

“Whoo, that's way more entertaining than watching you pick the lock!” Bill laughed, following him inside.

The man was already up and confronting them, a knife in one hand and a phone in the other. “Who the hell are-” When he saw Bill, he immediately recoiled. “You!”

“Me!” Bill said cheerfully. “Hey, get those things out of his hands, before he makes a fool of himself.”

Dipper slammed the blunt end of the ax into the man's wrist, forcing him to drop his knife with a pained hiss. He hit the other wrist to make him release the phone, hearing a crack as the blow managed to break bones.

“Okay, Chad, I've waited long enough,” Bill said calmly. “Where's my payment?”

“I... what payment?” the other demanded angrily.

“Don't play dumb, you and I both know what I'm referring to. I've grown tired of arrogant humans like yourself thinking they can lie to me. I'm putting my foot down. No more mercy, no more excuses. Now tell me where my payment is, and I might let you die quickly. If not, my partner here will take great pleasure in removing each of your internal organs one by one with that nice ax of his.”

Dipper was glad his face was in shadow, because he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep a straight face at that. Still, the idea of disemboweling someone wasn't quite as disgusting as it should have been. Might even be fun. He shifted the tool in his hands, considering that.

Bill, meanwhile, crossed his arms and waited for a response from Chad.

“I... look, what you did for me was a long time ago and probably really easy for someone like you, can't we just let it go and move on with our lives?”

“No. You made a promise. And if you can't pay me what you owe, then I'm going to take the secondary payment. Your life. Pine Tree.” Bill snapped his fingers.

Dipper moved forward immediately, gripping the handle of the ax as he raised it. He swung, but at the last moment, twisted it so the blunt edge hit the other instead. Chad yelled in pain, but Dipper still caught the sound of what was most likely his clavicle being broken. The man fell onto his knees, grabbing his shoulder and groaning.

“What was that?” Bill asked.

“Just warming up,” Dipper assured him. He took in a breath. Okay. He could do this. Bill had said it should be easier for him now. The demon had rewired him, so why was he still hesitating?

While he paused, he failed to notice Chad grabbing his knife from the ground until the man embedded the blade into his calf. The sharp pain spurred Dipper into action, giving him the burst of adrenaline he needed to swing the ax down, this time with its sharp edge toward the other.

It cut deep into his spine, and Chad collapsed as all the nerves below that point lost their contact with the brain. Dipper stumbled back, hand to the hilt of the knife when Bill stopped him.

“Leave it in for now,” he ordered.

“It fucking hurts.”

“I know, but we'll deal with that later. It's barely bleeding now but if you pull it out, it will bleed more. You might even pass out before this is done.”

Dipper sighed and let go of the handle. He stepped back toward Chad, wincing as the knife dug into his muscle every time his foot came down. The man looked up at him with fear, and it sparked a new excitement in Dipper's chest. And now that he was angry, the prospect of chopping someone up with an ax seemed pretty inviting.

“You can take anything you want!” Chad shouted, trembling and hunching down on the floor, obviously trying to look small and meek. “Just, no more!”

“You should have thought of that before,” Bill said coldly. “But rest assured, I'll be taking my pick of anything valuable you do have in here. After we're done dealing with you.” He examined the deep cut in the man's back. “Hmm. You won't be walking again anyway. Might as well put you down. Pine Tree, keep going. But no rush.”

Dipper hardly thought about it this time as he walked around to Chad's side, driving the blade down directly into the center of his back. It crossed over where he had hit last time, and this time, the spinal column definitely separated, accompanied by a spray of blood that soon turned into a steady stream. Dipper wrenched the ax back and examined the tissue and bone fragments stuck to it.

Chad screamed at the strike, crying out again when the blade was removed, but the pain didn't stop him from dragging himself toward the other with his arms and trying to hit him. He had enough strength to wrap both hands around one of Dipper's ankles and yank, but Bill moved behind Dipper to brace him so he didn't fall, and the boy responded by slicing through both of Chad's wrists.

The resulting howl of pain made him smile. Somehow, this really was fun. He shouldn't be enjoying this, but he was. Must be the result of Bill's tinkering with his mind. He leaned down to pry the hands from his ankle, and lifted them to show the other. The man's face paled, and he fell completely to the floor, sobbing against the carpet.

“See, Dipper?” Bill said. “My clients act tough, they act smart, but in the end they're weak and pathetic. I wish I could record this to show to everyone who summons me. So they'll know what's in store for them if they don't deliver. Honestly, by this point I don't even want to remind them what they did wrong anymore. They should just know. I've wanted to do this for a long, long time.”

“Should I just put him out of his misery?” Dipper asked, watching the rivers of blood running from Chad's wounds, puddling under him and filling the air with its thick, coppery scent.

“Sure, but I want to see you have some fun with it. This is your chance to get used to killing. So start chopping, and don't stop until it becomes easy. Until you don't even care about him anymore, you just want to see him reduced to a red, pulpy mass on the floor. Go on, let him have it.”

With Bill watching, providing a comforting presence behind him, Dipper struck at one of Chad's legs. The man groaned but otherwise didn't respond, making Dipper question whether he even had sensation that far down anymore. After the work he just did on his spine, probably not. Eased in knowing that at least this wouldn't hurt, Dipper swung the ax down again, more strongly, separating the other's foot from his leg. Though it took a bit of force to get the blade through bone, it wasn't that hard.

“There you go,” Bill said. “Again.”

Dipper attacked the other leg, a laugh escaping him as he took off that foot. This was fun!

Sensing the boy's enthusiasm, Bill laughed too. “I told you it would become easier! See, the potential for violence was always in you! And it's completely natural! Don't fight it! Just give in to your animal instincts!”

Like cutting a carrot, Dipper worked his way up the man's leg, separating it into several oozing chunks.

He could hear Chad crying and pleading with him to stop, more distressed than in pain by this point. He couldn't feel what was happening to his lower half, but he could hear the ax cutting through flesh and bone just fine. He was beginning to lose consciousness due to blood loss as well.

Dipper took a short break to walk in front of the other, using a foot to lift the man's chin. His eyes were squeezed shut, cheeks stained with tears, but he cracked an eye open to look up at him. “You're a monster,” he choked out. “You're the same as that damned demon next to you, you're going to the deepest, darkest parts of Hell and you'll be sorry you ever did this.”

“I doubt that,” Dipper replied. “Bill kinda has claim on my soul right now. But yours? Well, you did make a deal with a demon. Assuming you're Christian, I'm pretty sure your god frowns on that, so you're going to Hell too, pal. I hope you have a fun trip.” He kicked him in the face, which knocked out several teeth and also rendered him unconscious.

“I wouldn't call me transforming his soul into raw energy and absorbing it a trip to Hell, but that doesn't sound as threatening,” Bill commented.

“I almost feel bad for him. But... whatever.” Dipper kicked Chad over onto his back and looked over him. “Think I should still disembowel him?”

“Not while he's asleep. It'd be much funner if he was awake for it.”

“So should I wake him up?”

“Hmm... nah. Just go ahead and kill him. I'm looting the house.” Bill patted his shoulder and went to examine the other rooms.

Dipper stretched a bit, flexing his shoulders before hefting the ax. He was tired enough that it was starting to feel heavy. “All right, the killing blow. This will be easy. Just straight down into the heart.” His fingers twitched unsurely, so he raised the blade high above his head. So when he swung it down, he wouldn't be able to stop it. “Just do it.”

There wasn't much holding him back thanks to Bill's magic, but there was still some basic sympathy in him, just enough that he almost didn't want to go through with this. Hmm. Maybe he should ask Bill to get rid of his sympathy. Okay Dipper, come on, the man is suffering. Think of it that way. You're putting him out of his misery.

After taking a breath, he finally managed to bring his hands down. A split second before impact, he did feel an urge to stop the blade's progress, but that was impossible with its momentum. It sliced through skin, split the rib cage, and sunk into soft organs. He leaned forward, wiggling the blade to widen the wound and see what it had landed in. A rapidly bleeding red organ was split open, connected to its surroundings by thick veins, and he let go of the handle. That was the heart. No doubt about that.

He took a few moments to collect his breath, staring at what he had done. Strangely, he didn't feel guilty. Maybe a bit sick, but there was no guilt or regret.

He saw Bill's glow out of the corner of his eye and said, “You've changed me so I won't feel bad about this, didn't you?”

“That was the idea. Glad to see it's working.” Bill was holding a few watches, which he was turning into energy one by one and absorbing. “He's pretty dead, kid. Good job.”

“Thanks. I guess.” Dipper awkwardly rubbed his arm, looking at the corpse. “It's weird. I feel... nothing. Not sad, not guilty, just... neutral.”

“Better than being upset by it, huh?”

“I suppose...” Dipper pulled the ax free. “Hmm. I guess I feel a little... happy? No, not that. But... content. Like I did a good job.”

“You did do a good job. It could have been messier, but you'll get that next time.”

“Yeah. Also, right before I finished him off, I uh... still kinda hesitated. Because for a moment I did feel bad. Do you think it'd be possible to remove my sympathy?”

“Ah, kid, that's a basic emotion. Everyone has that. I can't just remove something like that from you. You just have to learn how to ignore it. Or at least, only direct it toward certain people, like your friends and family, and close it off to strangers. You can certainly do that.” Bill floated down to stand on the floor next to Dipper's leg, grasping the knife handle. “Now let me take care of this.”

Dipper had almost forgotten about that, but now that the other was touching it, he felt pain race up his leg. “Ow.”

“Just don't move. Okay, on three. One, two...” Bill yanked it out before Dipper could even tense, and as the boy growled in pain, Bill pressed his palm to the wound hard enough to keep blood from pouring out. Then Dipper felt a strangely relaxing warmth, and looked down to see a blue magic surrounding Bill's hand, less intense than his fire, more of a glow. The pain dissipated, and when Bill took his hand away, Dipper couldn't see a wound at all. Oh, right. He had healing magic.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” Bill held up the knife, examining it before magically vanishing it. Then he turned to Chad, passing his hands over him and whispering something. He glowed more brightly for a moment, then began hovering again. “All right, our work here is done! Hey, great job. I told you this would be easy.”

“It was almost too easy. What if I am becoming a monster?” Dipper asked quietly as he followed him out, carrying the ax limply in a hand.

“Then you'll be the best damn monster in this town, won't you? Hey, you have to do this! You might as well enjoy it!”

“I shouldn't enjoy killing my own kind.”

Bill rolled his eye. “Look, you're serving justice. These people deserve this. Just don't think too much about it. I give you a few weeks, then you'll be practically begging me to take you to someone you can kill. I've been in your head, boy, and I know that deep down, you want to do this.” He slid his hand along Dipper's temple, and the human shivered. “We just have to get that inner darkness to your outside. And it's already seeping through. Remember, Pine Tree... humans are just animals like any other. By removing the weak ones, you're doing the rest of the species a favor. Try to think of it like that.”

Dipper shrugged, just deciding to put it out of mind for now. “Well, I did manage to kill someone. And I feel okay about it. It's a start. I just... need to start seeing it as a good thing. What I did was good. It was fun.” That, at least, was something he was sure of.

“Exactly! Remember how you felt during the act. And hold onto that feeling. Soon enough you'll be looking forward to experiencing it again.”

Dipper lifted his hand, paused, steeled himself, and took Bill's hand. “If I ever start to doubt it, just... can you fix me again like you did before? Help me keep my thoughts on the right track? This does go against everything I've been taught, so... it may take me a while to get used to it myself...”

“Of course. I'll nudge some of your thoughts around later, if you want. But you're doing quite well on your own. That doubt is natural. But it won't last long. Trust me.”

Dipper nodded, and looked at Bill's hand, wondering why he hasn't pulled it away yet. He gave it a squeeze. “I trust you,” he said honestly.

“I know you do.” Bill's fingers tightened over Dipper's, and whether it was out of possession or something else, the boy wasn't sure. They shared a long look at each other, then Bill let go, turning to head into the forest. “That's all for tonight. Let's go back, you need to reflect on this one.”

“Yeah... I definitely do.” Dipper followed him, and though they didn't speak for the rest of the trip, Dipper felt secure with the demon guiding him home. His company was enjoyable, especially since no monsters dared to approach them.

By the time he reached the Mystery Shack, at around midnight, he was no longer negatively thinking about what he had done. He had accepted that this was his life now, and Bill was right in telling him he just needed to enjoy it. He had enjoyed earlier, and now he didn't feel bad at all. He had a choice to not be miserable. And he was going to take it.

Though he was tired, he took some time to turn on the water hose and spray the ax clean, though he had wiped a good bit of blood off dragging it through the woods. Once that was done, he returned it to its place next to the wood pile and said goodbye to Bill before sneaking inside and going up to his room.

As he removed his bloody clothes and stuffed them into a bag to clean later, he thought about how his victim had screamed, how the ax had cut into him, how he had bled. How he had deserved it. How his death was a promise of more to come to any who turned their backs on Bill Cipher. How exciting it was to end someone's life in such an abrupt fashion, knowing they would never again open their eyes and experience the world.

Dipper smiled.


	14. Oh Deer

After the first murder, Dipper found that consecutive ones became much easier. He was becoming acclimated to it, and Bill was there to encourage him every time. With the demon's instruction, he efficiently ended lives with whatever weapon he had available. Anything from pieces of glass, planks of wood, knives from the victim's kitchen, and even his own hands.

One prominent memory was of someone that he had chased for nearly an hour before they finally collapsed of exhaustion, and he wasn't faring much better after so much running, and the chase had ended in an open field with nothing, not even a rock, to be used as a weapon. So Dipper had resorted to pinning them down and choking them to death. And it was with a savage glee that he did so, enjoying how they struggled, hands clawing at his wrists, but weakening with each passing second. He savored the raw power he had over the situation, relished in being able to take his natural aggression to such extents. He could hear Bill laughing with amusement, and the demon suggested he shake them violently too, just for fun. Dipper had obliged, throttling them almost cartoonishly, a sight that made him laugh and had the demon in hysterics.

He didn't let them die quickly, either. Each time their body started to relax and their eyes slipped shut, he would loosen his grip just enough for a small amount of air to slip in, let them exhale, and then would start again. Their neck was a massacre of bruises, the skin scraped and mangled, and their eyes were bloodshot when he finally grew bored and held long enough for them to pass out. From that point, it was easy to just wait until their chest stopped moving.

Along with being Bill's 'repo man', as it were, Dipper continued to learn magic from him. He was practicing it now, and gaining proficiency every day. It certainly came in handy, especially for teleporting to places away from Gravity Falls rather than having to drive. Teleporting great distances was still difficult, but Dipper was getting better. The furthest trip he's managed so far was to Washington. Bill had hopes that by the end of the summer, he'd be able to make it cross country, though.

“That's putting a lot of faith in me,” Dipper commented.

“You learn fast. I trust you'll be able to do it.” Bill was currently drawing runes in the air for Dipper to practice reading, as the boy lounged in the grass and looked at it upside-down, holding a notebook above his face and writing in it.

“So what's gonna happen when it's time for Mabel and I to leave?” Dipper asked, rolling over so he could see the symbols better. “Are you going to make me stay here?”

“I thought about it, but then I figured... hey, I'll let you finish your last year of school just to get your parents off your back. Then you can come back to Gravity Falls and take over the Mystery Shack, your sister will be off at college so you won't have to worry about her, and you can focus more on this.”

Dipper nodded, writing down the runes and beginning to translate them, and Bill came over to watch.

There was quiet for a while, and then Dipper spoke again. “So, I was wondering something.”

“You usually are.”

“We've been spending a lot of time together, and I was just thinking... it's very nice, what you're doing for me. I mean, with this magic stuff. You don't have to teach me any of this. I don't need to know it. Yet... you do anyway. How come?”

“It's convenient for you to know it. Besides, you've been serving me well. Obviously I'm going to reward your hard work.”

“I guess, but... you also comfort me a lot. Compliment me. Say things that I really wouldn't expect to hear from a demon.”

“How many demons do you hang out with?”

“Well, besides you... none.”

“Exactly. Don't stereotype us.” Bill leaned against him a bit, putting his hand over Dipper's to stop something he was writing. “That is not what that one means. Try again or you'll mess up the entire sentence.”

“Oh. Right.” Dipper erased it and tried again.

“I do all these extra things for you because I like you,” Bill said. “I like it when you're happy. Because when you're happy, you're doing your job well. It's better when you're cheerful and laughing when you make a kill. Much better than that moping around you did at the beginning. I want you to enjoy this. It makes it easier for both of us.”

“Okay. So it's about my job performance. No more.”

Bill made an amused noise and took the pencil from Dipper's hand, dropping it and grasping the boy's face with both hands, making him look at him. “Do I have to spell it out for you? I like _you_. Not what you do for me. Well, yeah I like that too. But _you_ are important to me. I like your personality, I like your intelligence, I like your motivation and determination, and I especially like that positively demonic darkness you've got festering in your heart. So stop trying to reduce yourself to what you do, and realize you're great because of who you are.”

Dipper stared at him, heart beating fast, reaching up a hand to set against Bill's arm. His demon form was always so warm to the touch. Which was definitely why his face felt hot, and no other reason.

“You're speechless, I see.” Bill let go of him. “Well, I'll stop distracting you. Let's get back to your studies.”

Dipper picked up his notebook, but kept glancing at the other. Bill simply watched him, patiently waiting for him to finish translating. Once he was sure he had it, he handed the notebook to the other.

“Let's see... okay, yes, that's good... Your grammar is a little off, but this is excellent! You're getting good at reading these. Want to try translating spells back into their respective runes?”

“Sure.” Dipper took the notebook back, and as Bill gave him various spells, he would write down the magical symbols that, if inscribed by other means, would actually have an effect on their surroundings. Luckily, pencils on regular paper didn't exactly bring out their true power.

They did this for a while, then Bill had Dipper set it aside to just relax and meditate for about an hour. Meditating, he claimed, was a good way of gathering energy and allowing your mind to just process everything it has learned recently, without any distractions. Also, the temperature was perfect and there were birds chirping softly and it was generally very peaceful and relaxing to just stay outside.

Not that Bill could feel the temperature, of course, but he appreciated the atmosphere nonetheless, and floated serenely next to Dipper, matching his pose. The boy still found it hard to clear his mind as he was supposed to, so any time his thoughts wandered, he just directed them back to magic, reflecting on that. He really has advanced quickly. Maybe Bill would start teaching him dark magic soon. He knew it was risky, but he felt he could handle it. If Bill could get something beneficial out of killing people, he wanted to as well.

He almost spoke to the other, then stopped. He was supposed to be meditating. No speaking. He inhaled deeply and put the thought aside for later.

By the time Bill decided they were done, he was eager to speak to him. “So hey, I want to ask you something.”

“This has been on your mind the whole time, hasn't it?” Bill asked, amused.

“Yeah.”

“Go ahead.”

“When are you going to start teaching me dark magic? You know, using souls and blood and all that?”

Bill rested his elbow in his hand, tapping at a spot just below his eye. “Hmm, dark magic, eh? You sure you're ready for that? You've got the basics down but this stuff... it can really destroy you if you're not careful.”

“So I'll just be careful.”

“Sure you will be. And it's a good magic to learn. I mean, you can harness the energy from souls to heal yourself. Strengthen yourself. Live longer. To fuel other spells. And blood is good for summoning and imbuing weapons with energy and so many other things... Hmm, maybe I could teach you how to harvest souls, to start with.”

“Is it hard?”

“Well, when the body is still alive, it is. But once you kill it, you can just kinda grab it when it leaves. If a person is alive, the soul clings tightly. You can wrestle it out, but unless they give it willingly, it'll be very difficult to pull it out. It's like removing a tick that's already latched on.”

That was not a very pleasant analogy. Dipper shuddered a bit. “Yeah... I'll definitely only do it when they're already dead.”

“That's the best way. We can practice if you want.”

“Now?”

“Sure! We don't need to go straight to humans... contrary to popular belief, all animals have souls. From those birds above us, to the lizards, even to the little ants under us. Of course, bigger, more intelligent animals provide more energy. It's a waste of time harvesting from bugs and reptiles. Well, except for really big snakes, I guess. And alligators aren't a bad source either. But no. We should focus on the big mammals. Mountain lions, bears... deer.”

“A deer sounds like a good place to start,” Dipper said. He really did not want to try to kill a lion or bear.

“All right! Let's go find Bambi!”

It took a lot of sneaking through the woods, tiptoeing at excruciatingly slow speeds, and tracking based on barely recognizable hoof prints in the grass and the occasional scattering of stool, but eventually they were less than twenty feet away from a deer. She was a pretty thing, soft tan fur and big brown eyes, little streak of white under her tail and a slender neck that she raised as she regarded them. She has already run from them once, but as they were standing a fair distance away and were downwind, she couldn't smell them and therefore wasn't recognizing them.

Bill spoke to Dipper in his mind so as not to spook her. _Seems a shame to kill such an innocent beast, but these are the sacrifices that must be made. Okay, we don't have any weapons, so here's what you're going to do. That fire magic I've taught you? That can be directed into a concentrated beam. Almost like a laser. Just shoot that straight through her heart. A nice, clean death._

Dipper nodded and slowly lifted a hand. The doe's ears pricked forward, body leaning, back legs bending as she prepared to bolt. “Sorry,” he whispered softly before calling on his magic and directing it out in as focused a beam as he could. It was nothing like the sharp lasers Bill was capable of, but it did its job. The stream of flame punched through the doe's chest, and she managed a scream as she reared back, before collapsing and falling silent.

Dipper cut off the magic and leaned against a tree for a moment, catching his breath.

Bill clapped him on the back. “Great! She suffered a bit, but great! Let's go get that soul!”

“Is there a time limit to how long it will stay in the body?” Dipper asked as he followed the demon over to the body.

“It'll slowly float out of it. Humans tend to flee more quickly, but for animals like this, it just kinda drifts away.” Bill looked at a spot in the air just above the deer's body. “Hmm, you can't see them, though... not with your limited mortal vision.”

“Hey.”

“Perhaps I should have taught you to sense them... Well, no matter. As long as you know it's there, you can grab it. Okay, this is going to be very difficult for you, as you are made of flesh and blood, and a soul... well, isn't. It's like trying to catch air in your hands. But with a bit of magic, you can do it. Hold out your hands, palms up, and listen to me carefully.”

Dipper held his hands out as told, breathing catching in his throat as Bill's own palms slid under them, lightly holding them up. The demon's hands weren't really soft, not really rough... they felt smooth, almost. Like stone. And very, very warm. He blinked and forced himself to focus, meeting Bill's eye. The other seemed amused, but he began to speak. The words were a form of Latin, as most magical words tended to be, but just different enough that any old scholar practicing Latin won't accidentally blow up their desk. This was an older language. A powerful one. Dipper has practiced with it before; when he used any spell, even if he was quiet, he was whispering words in this language in his head just to help direct the magic.

So he listened carefully to these new words, how Bill strung them into a sentence and held Dipper's hands carefully in just one of his, the other hand tracing over Dipper's palms, fingers pressing against the skin as he spoke. There was a buzz of energy, and Dipper felt as though something soft and wispy was curling around in his hands.

“There. You use this spell on your hands, you can catch souls. Simple enough, right? Let me see you do it.” Bill pulled his hands away, and the feeling vanished.

Dipper flexed his wrists and brought his hands together, looking at them as he attempted to repeat what Bill had told him. His speaking of the words was almost correct, but just clumsy enough that the spell failed, and he felt a backlash of energy that almost hurt. It was certainly enough to knock him back.

Bill just rolled his eye. “You really need to learn how to enunciate.”

“It's more difficult when I actually have to wrap my tongue around those weird words,” Dipper pointed out, taking Bill's hand as the other helped him up.

“That's no excuse. Try again.”

“It's a perfectly good excuse.” Dipper tried again, speaking more slowly now, and Bill prompted him with each word along the way. Once he was sure he got it, he said it by himself, putting magic into it now, and again felt that almost-breeze in his hands.

Bill seemed pleased. “There you go! Now, it's right here.” He gestured. “When you reach out, you'll feel a mass, almost. Like there's a pudding floating here. Your eyes will tell you nothing is here, but don't listen. You have magic now, listen to that.”

“What do I do once I grab it? Will it hurt me?”

“Nah. A deer's soul won't. They're prey animals. Just take it, I'll tell you what to do with it after that.”

Dipper reached out, but he pondered the implications of that. “So are you saying other souls will like... fight back?”

“In a sense. Now focus, do you feel it?”

Dipper moved his hands through the air. He felt ridiculous, but he trusted that there really was something here, and searched for it. Suddenly there was a slight pressure against his fingertips, as if they had sunk into something. He almost dismissed it as imagination, he really couldn't see anything, but remembered what Bill had said, and moved his hands forward. There was definitely something. Something that flexed under his touch, as if trying to lean back. “Yeah, there's something... weird. Can't see a thing, but there's a resistance right here.”

“Yeah, you have your fingers stuck right in it. Now just... focus, and grab. Yet be gentle. As if you're trying to hold gelatin in your hands.”

That was a weird simile, but Dipper went with it, just barely curling his fingers around the invisible mass and lifting. There seemed to be no weight to it whatsoever, it was just a presence, one that he could only sense with his hands, and even then, it was questionable.

“All right, you have it. Good job.”

As usual, Dipper smiled at the praise. “Thanks.”

“As soon as that spell of yours wears off, you won't be able to feel it anymore, let alone touch it. So you gotta knock out this next part fast. This is considerably more difficult. What you are going to do is consume its power for yourself. I'm sure you've been to science class, know about how energy can never be destroyed or created, only transferred, and so on... that's basically what you're doing. Transferring the energy out and taking it instead of just letting it disperse. Now, it's hard to describe exactly how you absorb it, just...” Bill cupped his elbow, looking thoughtful. “It's not like eating, but like... you just kinda suck it in? I mean not like with a mouth, but... okay, we have completely different bodies, you're just gonna have to figure something out.”

“That's really the only advice you have for me?” Dipper demanded, annoyed. He could already begin to feel himself losing his grip on the almost-intangible soul, and he had no idea what to do with it.

“You're mortal, magic works differently with you! Look, just...” Bill gestured vaguely with a hand. “Think about absorbing it. Like anything else, it's about concentration and desire. Just will yourself to take the energy in. Focus on it, how it feels in your hands, and just harness it. You have to open your mind the way I taught you, as if you were casting a spell. Just see what happens.”

“Fine.” Dipper sighed, shifted his stance so his feet were planted more firmly, and focused. He concentrated on how the soul felt, allowed himself to feel its energy drifting across his skin, and thought about its energy joining with his. He cautiously opened his mind as he had been taught, allowing himself to sense all the magic around him, and the soul almost seemed to glow in comparison. Well, it was a magic itself, wasn't it? He could just draw it in the same way he does with other energy. Now that he understood what to do, he gathered the soul close and closed his eyes, willing it to absorb into him.

There was a tingling across his body, a buzz of electricity that raised the hair on his arms, and he knew it was working. And now that he knew what it felt like, he was able to absorb it more quickly.

As the last of the energy seeped into his body, he suddenly got an unsettling feeling. Before he could address it, he was hit with a blinding pain in his skull, so intense that he fell to his knees, screaming.

“Pine Tree?” Bill asked with concern, reaching down to touch his shoulder.

Dipper grasped his head and forced his mouth shut, but he still panted harshly, groaning at the slices of agony that were beginning to travel further down his body.

“Oh. Shit.” Bill floated down to hold him with both hands, pushing him over so he was lying down on his side. “You're going to have to just wait that out.”

“What... what's happening?” Dipper demanded, managing to open an eye to look up at the other. Through tear-streaked vision, he could see the world wavering uncertainly, taking on strange colors. He curled in on himself a bit, shaking.

“Ha, well, here's the funny thing about soul magic for mortals. See, you're only supposed to have one in your body at once. You can absorb another, but for a few moments it's really going to hurt until your mind alters it into pure energy. The amount of time that takes depends on your magical prowess and how many you've absorbed before. It happens more quickly if you're experienced. You will get to a point where it doesn't even hurt any more, but for now... yeah.”

“And you couldn't have warned me about this, you bastard?”

Bill held his hands up defensively. “I didn't want it to distract you. But look, it's starting to feel better, right?”

Dipper could already feel the pain dimming, his sight returning to normal. Soon he was able to push himself up, blinking and wiping his eyes off. “Ugh. Yeah.” He rubbed his head.

“Sorry, but if I had warned you, you'd be thinking about it. And then you probably wouldn't have been able to absorb it properly in the first place because a small part of you is afraid. This was a better way. You got through the worst, from now on it'll be easier.”

“You're still a dick.” Dipper got up, the pain completely gone now. Not only that, but it was as if it never even happened. He could remember that he was in pain, but he couldn't really remember the pain itself at all.

“Haha, yeah. All right, so you've got that soul, now its energy is available to you whenever you need it. You feel up for learning any more or do you need to take a break?”

“I'm up for another lesson, I guess... as long as it won't torture me.”

Bill laughed. “Nah, this next one won't hurt you at all! We're just gonna use this conveniently dead deer to learn some blood magic.”

That got Dipper's interest. “Is it hard?”

“It can be, but you seem to have a talent for this sort of thing, considering how you handled that soul stealing. Now if you could just get out a knife, a red marker, and your notebook, we can get started.”


	15. Wielding and Shielding

It was quite a messy lesson. The first thing Bill had Dipper do was take the knife and cut the deer's heart out, saying that this would be an important source of energy. It turned out that deer hide was considerably tougher than human skin, but Dipper had quite a lot of practice with his knife, and was able to cut in with relative ease. Once he had sliced through the many veins and vessels, he extracted the heart and stared at it with morbid fascination.

Bill then taught him the particular spells that would harness magic from the blood, costing Dipper no energy whatsoever. Technically.

“What do you mean, technically?” Dipper asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh Pine Tree, must we get into technicalities?”

“Last time I let you be vague, a soul seriously hurt me. What aren't you telling me?”

Bill huffed. “Just common sense, but obviously if there isn't enough magic in the blood for whatever you're trying to do, then the remainder is coming from you. And if you aren't prepared for that, it could weaken you or even make you pass out.”

“See, that's good information for me to know.” Dipper regarded the heart he had placed nearby, giving it another poke. That amused him for some reason.

“Luckily, as you practice, you'll be able to get more use out of blood. A deer has a lot of it, but the quality isn't that great. In comparison, humans have a decent amount and it's usually pretty powerful. And then there's complex spells that involve using multiple animals... ah, we'll get into that some other time, that's bringing pentagrams and candles into the mix. I don't want to dump too much info on you at once. Okay, so, blood magic. Right. I'm gonna have you do something simple just to practice transferring energy. Like with the soul, with the blood you just kinda... take its power and redirect it. In this case, you'll be redirecting it here.” Bill indicated Dipper's notebook. “Take out that marker.”

Dipper took his marker out, uncapping it.

“You're going to write the runes for... flight. Yeah, that'll work for now. Turn to a clean page, and write a levitation spell on there. But don't put any magic into it.”

After a few minutes of careful inscribing, Dipper held up the notebook for the other's approval.

“That'll do. Now tear that page out and set it on the ground.” Once the paper was set aside, Bill directed, “Take the heart. Squeeze blood out of it and onto the page, while reciting one of those spells I taught you to transfer the energy out of the blood. I'll leave you to figure out which spell will work best.”

Dipper had some trouble recalling what to say; he's already been given a lot of new information today. But he did his best, making up whatever he couldn't remember, as he sprinkled blood onto the paper. For a few moments, it seemed nothing was happening. Then the paper crinkled, edges waving, and slowly lifted into the air.

“Crude, but effective,” Bill commented.

“I can use a levitation spell with my own magic,” Dipper replied.

“Of course you can. This is just to practice. Once you've got it down, you can carve some spells into your favorite knife and imbue it with magic. One deer would give it decent enchantments if you know what you're doing, but honestly... human blood works better for that sort of thing. And to make it even more meaningful, you should wait until you're killing someone you really hate, that way it feels sweeter using their essence to make yourself stronger.”

Dipper chuckled, reaching forward with his marker to draw some extra symbols on the paper, causing it to fold itself into the shape of a crane as it floated. “You haven't even had me go after anyone I know, let alone hate.”

“Yet.”

Dipper raised an eyebrow at him. “You have someone in mind, don't you?”

“I think you're going to enjoy tomorrow night, kid.”

Though he wanted to ask who, Dipper knew by his tone of voice that Bill wanted it to be a surprise. So he simply picked up the deer heart to toy with, watching the blood slowly trickle down his hands. “I can't wait.”

 

The next morning, the twins had to listen to slightly more grumbling than necessary as Stan read the newspaper, until Mabel finally asked, “Okay, what happened?”

“Just... this.” Stan tossed the paper down with disgust, showing them the headline.

“Local man found dead in forest,” Dipper read. He skimmed over the rest of the passage. “Autopsy shows internal bleeding and fractured neck bones. Bruises on the victim's neck further indicate the cause of death, which has been determined to be strangling. Despite the presence of multiple wounds, no weapons were found at the scene. Investigation is ongoing.”

 _I honestly didn't think you had broken that guy's neck,_ Bill commented in Dipper's mind. _Impressive._

Dipper looked back up at his uncle. “Well, that's depressing.”

Mabel took the paper, reading it.

“And this isn't the first murder in this town,” Stan said. “There have been others reported. And maybe more where they just haven't found the body yet.”

“Think it's some kind of monster?”

“I don't know of any beast that kills its prey in the ways that these people have been killed. It's like... whatever did it to them just wanted them dead. Didn't want to eat them, wasn't defending itself... just torturing and killing. What does that?”

“A human,” Dipper said bluntly.

Stan snorted. “That's what it has to be. Gravity Falls has a serial killer.”

Mabel looked up sharply, and Dipper could only imagine the thoughts going through her head. She turned to him, and he silently begged her to keep quiet.

She inhaled, sighed, and looked at Stan. “Any idea who it might be?”

“I can't really think of anyone mentally disturbed enough to do these kinds of things, but... then again I don't get out as much as I used to. Anyone could have recently moved here, or grown up here, and decided to go on a rampage for reasons known only to themselves.”

“Maybe someone got possessed by a vengeful demon,” Mabel suggested. She definitely looked at Dipper, but Stan didn't notice, glaring at the newspaper.

“I wouldn't be surprised. There are so many idiots out there making bad deals with demons, any of those fools could have been possessed.”

Bill chuckled. _Perceptive as always, Stanley._

Dipper took a sip of coffee. “I guess I should look into that,” he said.

“I'm surprised you aren't already out there,” Stan said. “Usually you're all over this kind of thing. A paranormal something or evil person going around murdering people? Isn't investigating that stuff kind of your whole deal?”

“Usually, but I guess I haven't been reading the paper. I had no idea this was going on.” Dipper ignored how Mabel coughed over her cereal.

“Well now you do. So you should go take a look, see what you can find out. Bring this murderer to justice.”

“Justice.” Dipper considered that. “What if whoever is doing this feels like they're the justified one?”

“Just because you believe something, it doesn't mean it's true,” Stan said shortly. “The ways these people have died? Torture. Cold-blooded torture. Beating, skin flayed off, strangled, even burnt. That is never justified.”

Mabel made a startled little gasp, eyes wide. Dipper remembered that he never exactly told her he had started killing... whoops. Well, she knew now.

“Maybe those people are just being punished for their own transgressions,” he said.

 _Kid, reel it in,_ Bill warned. _You're right, but don't talk like that around your uncle._

“Yeesh, calm down, Socrates. Since when do you think like that?”

Dipper realized that maybe he should have had a little more tact. “Ah, well... sometimes you just think about stuff like that, you know? Like maybe... maybe the universe punishes those who do wrong.”

“Poetic, but probably not true. The universe doesn't give a shit.”

 _Well he's not wrong_ , Bill said.

When Dipper didn't respond right away, Stan sighed and picked up the paper. “Well, all I can hope is that they don't decide to come after us. From what I can tell, they've been picking off lesser known residents, but... just because I didn't know these people, that doesn't mean others don't. And most of these people lived near the woods. Guess where we live?”

Dipper cleared his throat. “Well uh... I've been practicing magic, and I could probably put up a defensive barrier... Something that would repel anyone with hostile intent, or whatever.”

“You think you could pull off something like that?”

“Sure.” _Leaving a hole for myself, of course,_ he added silently to himself.

 _Why would you need to come in here with hostile intent?_ Bill asked.

_Well, if I'm still wound up from killing someone, I don't want the barrier to throw me out because it picked up on it._

“If you think you could do that, go ahead,” Stan said. “But be careful.”

Dipper got up, deciding to go ahead and do it now. As he walked outside, Stan followed him.

“Actually, I want to see you do it. Make sure there's no funny business going on.”

“That's fine.” Dipper cracked his knuckles and headed into the yard, looking around and determining how large of a field he should make.

“Whatever you do, do it fast, because we've got tour buses soon,” Stan called from the porch. “Summer's ending, so we need to make as much of a profit as we can before the tourists go south again.”

“Yeah, got it.” Deciding on how he wanted to do this, Dipper walked out to where he wanted the edge to be. He was a bit magically drained at the moment; Bill had him practicing blood and soul magic for hours. But... he was confident he had the strength for this spell. Especially if he borrowed some energy.

Crushing a beetle under his shoe, he absorbed a minute amount of magic from it. He felt a stabbing sensation to the sole of his foot, but didn't flinch, and soon it stopped hurting. As he walked in a circle around the yard, he gestured with his hands to direct protective magic in a dome over the area, intentionally stepping on insects just to help fuel it. It didn't help much, but he considered it good practice. He whispered softly as he worked, just a few words here and there to help him keep his focus. But most of it was done with his will alone.

Once he finished, back at where he began, he stepped beyond the barrier and picked up a rock, throwing it as hard as he could toward the house. It hit the shield and ricocheted off, almost pelting him in the face, if he hadn't dove aside.

“Deflects attacks!” he called to Stan, and Mabel, who had walked outside at some point to watch as well. “But only if meant in ill will! Otherwise, nothing happens!” He demonstrated by tearing up some grass and lightly tossing it forward. It passed easily through the invisible barrier.

“That's some fine work,” Stan said. “And you taught yourself this?”

“Yep.” Dipper returned to the house, silently modifying the shield so that it would never reject him even if he had full intentions to burn the Shack down. Not that he would ever want to do that.

“Hmm. Well, I can appreciate that. Always nice when young folk take it upon themselves to learn a trade.” Stan patted his back, while also ushering him toward the door. “Now get the shop ready, both of you. I think I hear buses.”

Neither twin heard any such thing, but they went to get everything ready anyway. Once Stan passed them and went into his office, Mabel snuck over to Dipper and jabbed him in the ribs. “Aren't you afraid you're going to get caught?”

He chuckled, a bit too darkly for her liking. “I'm too smart for that.”

“That's what a lot of murderers think.” Hearing Dipper inhale at her choice of words, she continued quickly, “I know you have to do it. I know that if it were up to you, you wouldn't be hurting anyone. So I can't be mad at you for that, though I feel sorry for every single person you attack, whoever they may be... I don't even know how many it's been. But my problem is when you start to enjoy it. When you start to get cocky about it. That's when I really get afraid. I'm scared for you, Dipper. What if you do get caught? Then what?”

“I break myself out,” he said simply.

“Then you'll be a murderer and an escaped convict. You'll never have another moment of peace.”

“Sure I will. I can change my appearance. Change my name. Move halfway across the world and just resume from there. That's pretty doable.”

“And leave behind everyone you know and love?”

“If it's what must be done.” Dipper could hear vehicles outside now, and tugged on his clothes a bit, making sure his appearance was acceptable. He didn't care to put on a suit and tie like Stan did, but he wanted to look nice for the tourists nonetheless. They got more tips that way.

Mabel worried her bottom lip before throwing herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. “I don't want to lose you. No matter what you've done. You're still my brother and I want you in my life, not in prison or halfway across the world...”

He slowly hugged her back. “Mabes, listen... I won't be caught,” he said confidently. “I wear gloves, my face is out of sight, hair all tucked back into a hood, if the person is going to live I don't let them hear much of my voice... any security systems are disabled magically from a distance. If they don't see me and I don't leave any DNA, how will they track me down?”

“I dunno... haven't you ever watched CSI?” Mabel said uneasily. “Or Bones? They usually get the bad guy on like... the teensiest bit of evidence. They're just that good!”

Dipper laughed again, but it was a more lighthearted laugh than earlier. “Well, there's always the old memory erasing gun. Hey, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I've got someone looking out for me.”

She sighed as she separated from him. “He better take good care of you or he'll have me to answer to.”

 _Tell her that nothing will harm you as long as I'm around,_ Bill boasted.

“Bill says nothing will harm me as long as he's around,” Dipper repeated.

“You can say that all you want, but I'm still going to be worried.” She went behind the counter, fiddling with the cash register. “I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about you.”

“I'm sorry. I never wanted this. If I could go back and change it...” Dipper trailed off, hesitating. Would he change it? Would he make it so that he never ended up in Bill's debt? On one hand, it would save him so much pain and confusion and horror, but on the other... he would have never gotten to learn the things he has. Would Bill have found another reason to take him under his wing?

_Probably. I've wanted you to be mine for quite a while. I would have gotten it one way or another._

Dipper really didn't know how to respond to that, and his silence was enough of an answer to Mabel.

“You wouldn't change it,” she said bluntly. “You like what you're doing.”

“Mabel...” He could see people through the window now, heading for the door, and knew he'd have to go greet them very soon. But at the very least, he could try to put her mind at ease. “Isn't it better for me to enjoy it, than to spend every day miserable and angry? I shouldn't enjoy it, but I do. I do, and that makes it easier. Just... know that I'll never let any harm come to me. And I will never hurt you, or Stan, or our parents. Or any of our friends. That's a promise.”

She nodded. “Yeah. I know you'll never hurt them. Or me.”

Dipper swung open the door to the gift shop and went out to greet the tourists, chatting them up like Stan does, getting their attention, making them laugh, and soon leading them inside to pay and go on a tour. He tried to put the conversation with Mabel out of mind while working, but still found himself considering what he would do if a loved one got in his way. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that one.

 _You'll do what needs to be done,_ Bill answered for him.

There was no argument.


	16. Feels Trip

“Okay so what poor bastard am I chopping up tonight?” Dipper asked as he swung open the closet door to hunt for a clean jacket. As usual the black was available, but he kinda wanted to let it air out for a bit.

Bill joined him in front of the closet, examining the selection. “I'd go with the plaid.”

“I am not wearing plaid to-”

“I think it'd be really funny if you wore the plaid hoodie. Why do you even have that.”

“I guess I'm wearing the plaid.” Dipper took it off the hanger and pulled it on.

Bill returned to Dipper's desk, organizing his stuff as he usually did when bored. “Do you want to know what this person even did, or do you just want to kill them? Because it'll save me plenty of exposition if you just agree to off them with no questions asked. That'd be preferable if we could just do that for the rest of your life, actually. The reasons will get repetitive. Humans are stupid and unoriginal.”

“I mean, I guess I don't really care, if you say they have to die then fine, they have to die.” Dipper made sure he had his favorite knife, then slipped his gloves on. “All I need is a name and a method of death.”

“Method of death? Painful. Name? It's a surprise.”

Dipper raised an eyebrow. “How am I supposed to find them if I don't know-”

“I'll give you directions to their house. This person is in Gravity Falls, so it won't be a long drive. Actually, you know what... we're not driving. Too risky, your car probably will be seen. We're going to walk. Or you're going to walk. I'm going to fly because that's what superior species do.”

“Why must you be so cryptic all the time?”

“Do... do you not realize what my last name means or...”

Dipper scoffed. “That's not even your true name.”

“True, but neither is yours.”

“Wow, rude.” Ready to go, Dipper left the room. He almost bumped into Mabel, who was on her way to the bathroom. She jumped, staring at him.

Her eyes flicked over the length of his body, taking in the way he was dressed, and she frowned as Bill floated to Dipper's side, almost protectively grabbing his shoulder. “Uh. Hey,” she said nervously.

“Hey, Shooting Star,” Bill greeted her.

“So you're... in reality? Is that a thing now?”

“Yeah, has been for a while. Thanks to your brother.” Bill squeezed Dipper's shoulder, giving him a little shake.

“Ah. So, I guess you're taking him off to pay back more of our lifetime debt, huh?”

“I sure am! Wanna help?”

She shook her head, looking sick. She glanced toward the bathroom door as if considering just leaving, then inhaled deeply and looked back at Bill. “I don't want any part of this. But I do want to tell you something. Dipper trusts you. He trusts you and likes you way more than he should, and I don't know if it's some kind of Stockholm Syndrome, or if he's been brainwashed, or if it is just natural, but whatever it is... he likes you. So you are not going to hurt him. You are not going to betray him. You are going to treat him with the respect he deserves and if I ever!” She stuck her finger in his face, “Ever! Hear about you mistreating him, I swear to God I will learn how to perform exorcisms just to rid us of you once and for all!”

Bill was silent for a few moments. Then he snarked, “Implying that exorcisms would work on me. But I admire your spunk, kid.” He ruffled her hair, as if she was just a mildly annoying puppy. “I'm taking good care of your brother. I know how much he likes me. I like him too. I don't destroy things I like. That's like intentionally breaking your toys.” He let go of her hair, and she glared at him as she patted it back down.

“He's not an object,” she growled.

“Oh, you get the point.” Bill placed his other hand on Dipper's other shoulder, and the boy leaned back against him slightly. “Now if you don't mind, we have some payment to collect. Let's go, Pine Tree.”

Dipper straightened up and headed for the stairs, giving Mabel an apologetic shrug.

“Pleasant dreams, Shooting Star,” Bill said politely. She whirled and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Dipper didn't speak until they were outside and walking beneath the slowly darkening sky, following the treeline. “So uh... I feel we really need to talk about something.”

“You always want to talk about something.”

“Well, two things.”

“Oh geeze.”

“You can see the future, right?”

“I can see possibilities. Choices affect the future and I can see the possible outcomes of many different choices, so I have to first figure out how someone will actually act, and then determine their future from that. If they behave unpredictably, I can't see into their future. But just in general... yes, I have premonitions of things before they occur.”

“So do you foresee Mabel accepting all this at any point?”

“Hmm...” Bill thought about it. “Dunno. She's very hard to read. I think she'll get to a point where she'll just be desensitized to it. She'll worry about you and ask how you're doing, but she'll accept that you have no choice, and that it's simply part of your life. She'll just try not to think about it. And she'll eventually accept me because I'm so close to you, and she respects our relationship because at least it's mutual.”

“That takes me into the other thing I wanted to talk about. Our relationship.”

“Oh boy, I knew this was coming.”

“What are we?”

“Humans and their labels... Pine Tree, we're whatever you want us to be. Friends. Best friends. Teacher and student. Mentor and disciple. Master and servant, I don't know... whatever combination of letters you feel you identify with most. I honestly don't care.”

“Demons don't care much about relationships, do they?”

“On the contrary, we do. We have many bonds with other beings. But we don't have to have words for them. If you're in a relationship of some sort, you and that other being know what it is. You just understand it conceptually. Why have to call it anything? It's no one's business. If you must refer to the other person, well... 'friend' is a pretty broad term.”

“Well, I'm not a demon.” Dipper looked over at Bill and reached up, taking his hand. He wasn't as nervous about it as he used to be. Not only did Bill allow him, he willingly wound his fingers through Dipper's. “See, this! What does this mean?”

“It's called hand-holding,” Bill said blankly. “I thought you were smart.”

“No, I mean, why do you do it with me?”

“Why? Because you took my hand. It's polite to return the gesture, yes?”

“Typically, but only if you... if you feel the same way about the person, you know?”

“And who's to say I don't feel the same way?”

Dipper looked straight ahead, forcing a laugh. “Because... you're a demon. You aren't going to like me that way.”

There was a jolt to his arm; Bill had stopped, forcing him to stop too. The demon yanked him around and stared into his eyes, looming over him in a fairly intimidating fashion. “You're still trying to stereotype us, aren't you? Well, stop it. We have emotions. We have all the same emotions you do. Arguably, we have more. So never think that I can't possibly do something you can.”

Dipper blinked, torn between glaring right back at him, and showing submission. He wasn't sure which would be better when Bill was mad at him. He first tried to back away. Bill let him, releasing his hand as well.

“Humans,” Bill muttered, floating forward again. Dipper hurried after him. “Always making things complicated. Questioning things that don't need to be questioned. When the mind says things, it's okay to be skeptical. But when the heart speaks to you? You listen.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you.”

“I'm not offended. Just annoyed by you trying to fit me into this narrow mindset you've created of what demons should be. Haven't you been around me long enough to know I break most of those stereotypes?”

“Yeah, but... you also aren't human, so I don't want to think of you in human terms, otherwise you might get mad at that...”

“Well, I'm closer to human than whatever you're imagining me as. Pine Tree, listen. I get that you're confused. You're getting these weird feelings and it's upsetting because you feel like it's wrong for them to be directed toward me, and you're trying to reaffirm that I don't like you so you can let yourself down early. Well, I do like you. That's the simple truth of it. I've already told you everything I like about you. Just accept it. We're at a stage beyond simple friendship, one that probably doesn't have a name, but that's okay. Our relationship is still meaningful, and we understand each other, so it's perfect just the way it is. And I'll be happy with it no matter where it takes us.”

“So...” Gathering up his courage, Dipper stuttered, “So if I t-told you that reason I'm getting flustered is because I... I have a crush on you... would that be okay?”

Bill gave Dipper one of his strange mouthless smiles. “That would be just fine by me. It was bound to happen at some point.”

“And you aren't... sickened? Wait, sorry, you said not to make assumptions... but you obviously wouldn't be interested, would you? Just because... you know, I'm human, and you're-”

“Kid, you talk a lot.” Bill hit him on the back hard enough that he almost tripped forward. “Stop worrying about stupid things and instead worry about how you're going to sneak into this guy's very expensive and well-monitored house.”

Dipper had been mulling over Bill's comment about the crush being fine and pondering the implications, but now he refocused his attention. “What? Who are we going after, again?”

“Someone you should be quite familiar with by now. Someone that is an abusive, cheating, arrogant piece of shit that you've actually entertained the thought of killing once before. Or at least, conveniently letting them have their entire livelihood destroyed by a vengeful ghost.”

Dipper stared at him. “Who...”

Bill gestured to the mansion in the distance, which they had been walking toward this whole time. “If anyone deserves to die in this town, I think you'll agree that it's Preston Northwest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the unusually short chapter but I felt this would be the best stopping place. I'll post a long chapter next time to make up for it. B)


	17. Not-So-Blue Blood

Dipper spent the rest of the walk in an anxious but excited daze. Preston Northwest? Bill wanted him to kill _Preston_? Sure, Dipper hated him for how abusive he was of Pacifica, but he wasn't sure he could bring himself to kill the man, considering that they knew each other. Could he really look into the eyes of someone he was acquainted with and murder them? Especially when he and Mabel were friends with their daughter?

“Okay, since it's Preston... what'd he do?” Dipper asked at last. “I can totally see him being too stuck-up to pay you back, but what could he want from you?”

“Oh, it was mostly political favors... a few little things that helped line his pockets with even more cash, I may have offed some of his enemies... And he actually did thank me, he appreciated my help, said that it was good his ancestors hung a tapestry of me in the house, otherwise he might not have even known about me. But the payment he gave me? Eh... it doesn't suffice. He's still benefiting from everything I did. Usually I would just want you to torture him, but I know how much you hate him, and you really want a human soul for your knife, right? Why not use his?”

“I... I guess... but that's Pacifica's dad. And I like Pacifica, I don't want to hurt her...”

“She'll only be upset for a while, then she'll be glad he's gone. You have no idea what he's put her through. You've only seen the tip of the abuse iceberg. The only person that will miss him is his wife. And to be honest... she won't mourn him for that long either. She'll find Pacifica a stepfather and the world will keep on spinning.”

Dipper was quiet, still unsure.

“Look, if it makes it any easier...” Bill set a hand on Dipper's shoulder, “Just make it quick for him. Before his family gets involved. We can be in and out before anyone knows we were there. Especially if you teleport. You know what the inside of the mansion is like, it'll be easy to teleport in.”

“I thought you didn't like quick deaths.”

“I don't. But I also don't like you being distressed. So do it however you want, just get it done. I promise that Llama will be all right.”

“Well, if you say so...” Dipper took in a breath, then stepped out of the comforting shadow of the trees and began climbing up the hill toward the mansion. It was difficult work; the winding road was supposed to be the only way to access it. But he managed. Bill shadowed him, senses on high alert for anyone in the area, but no one was outside. The road was empty.

“You want to knock out their security systems, or should I do it?” Bill asked.

“I'll do it.”

Dipper finally managed to pull himself up onto level ground, hiding behind one of the trees outside the wall. He peeked around and craned his head to see over the wall. From here, he could only see the top floors of the mansion. Most of the lights were off, but a few were still glowing. One, he knew from visits belonged to Pacifica. And further down the building, almost at the other end, were the lights of the master bedroom.

“Is Preston with his wife?” Dipper asked.

Bill floated up higher, hand moving above his eye as he focused. He stared at the house for a few moments, then said, “No. She's talking to someone on the phone and he's... somewhere else. Hmm, where is he...” He looked around.

“Well, I can find him once I get in there. But first... a distraction.” Dipper took in a breath and raised his hand, silently calling on his magic. He knew it didn't fully respect him yet, but he found that destructive magic was more willing to heed his call. And that was exactly what he wanted right now. It really only took his will for him to feel that buzz of energy, but just to make sure, he whispered his request in his mind. _Fulgur. Percello._

He let the magic surge through him, an intense rush of heat that lit his nerves on fire, but it was more exciting than painful. Almost too fast to see, a bolt of lightning struck the mansion. It missed the lightning rod and instead hit right where the power lines connected, snapping them off, and everything went dark. He could hear the fountains turn off, the showy floodlights in the yard shorting out. Somewhere he recognized the distressed call of a peacock.

“Nice!” Bill said with approval, watching shingles flake off the mansion and slide down the roof. “Hit it again and light it on fire.”

“I'm not trying to kill everyone.” Dipper headed over to the gate. With the power off, there was no electronic locking mechanism. He shoved it open and slipped in. He didn't know how long it would take for the power to come back on. Did the Northwests have a generator? Considering their wealth, he was surprised there wasn't a generator coming on right now.

“Oh yeah, they have one,” Bill said. “But it has to be turned on manually. Isn't that ridiculous? I guess they were so cocky they figured they wouldn't need an automatic one. Obviously nature wouldn't dare to attack them.”

“Think Preston is gonna turn it on?” Dipper asked.

“Oh, most certainly. So he'll be in the basement. Alone. While his wife makes a very angry call on her cell phone and Pacifica gets some candles for her room.”

“Good, they probably won't come looking for him for a while.” Dipper looked up at the house, considering his route of entry.

Bill tapped him on the shoulder. “Uh. Teleportation, remember?”

“Oh, right.” Did he have the energy for that? He wasn't so sure he did.

Bill chuckled. “You will if you kill one of those annoying birds.”

“I am not killing a peacock.”

“You've killed humans and yet you refuse to kill a bird?”

“They didn't do anything wrong.”

“Are you kidding? Just gaze into their soulless eyes...”

Dipper shook his head, but he didn't want to go into the mansion through the front door. Too much of a chance of being caught. Using magic to get inside was really the best option right now. Besides... he knew where the basement was. He could visualize it. He, Mabel, and Pacifica had played ping-pong down there before. So teleporting inside would be easy... once he got the energy for it.

“I'm a monster,” he commented as he walked toward one of the peacocks. “Hey, come here, li'l guy. It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you...”

The peacock wasn't falling for that. It hurried away from him, tail lowering as it did. Once it was a suitable distance away, it fanned its tail out again. The bright colors let him know it was a male.

“Come here you son of a bitch.” Dipper chased after it far more quickly than the pampered bird was used to, and it let out a squawk of distress as he leapt on top of it, pinning it to the ground. It managed to get several good bites on him before he got his knife out and sunk it into the bird's chest. He sighed as he watched blood stain the pretty blue and green feathers, withdrawing the knife and quickly taking the soul. A burst of pain and then it was his, and he stood. Not wanting to leave the body there, he lifted it up and walked over to the wall, throwing it as hard as he could over it. Judging from how high it flew, it would land far enough away that it would roll down the hill and into the woods. From there, nature could take its course.

He eyed the blood shimmering on the blade and passed his hand over it, and it soaked into the metal and disappeared. “Saving it for later,” he explained to Bill.

“Ooh, smart. A little extra magic, eh? I like it. Now, let's get in there.”

Dipper nodded and closed his eyes, imagining himself in the basement of the Northwest mansion, next to that ping-pong table with its elegant carving (seriously, why did they spend so much money on something that _simple_?), and tugged firmly at his magic. It responded to his request, and he experienced an alarming suffocating sensation that he still wasn't used to, feeling as though he was being squeezed from several angles. It was over as quickly as it came, and then he was walking into something.

He blinked, looking around. It was too dark to see. Feeling in front of him, he identified a table. His hand moved further, and he felt a net. The ping-pong table. He had made it into the basement.

“You're getting better at that,” Bill complimented him. “It didn't take you as long to travel.”

“Well, I did know exactly where I was going,” Dipper pointed out, making his way carefully through the dark room. His eyes were wide open, but they probably wouldn't adjust enough to see. There was no light in here. Well... except Bill. Right? He turned to look at the other and saw him clearly, glowing yellow as usual, but the glow didn't seem to reach beyond a few inches. It was more defined with the black behind it, but there was no natural illumination. He squinted. “What even are you?”

Bill shrugged.

Dipper kept walking. Once he found the stairs, he crouched down to the side of them. Preston would be coming down this way. There was no other entrance to the basement that he knew of.

While he waited, he murmured a spell that would grant him night vision. He hasn't used it before, but he knew the words for it. His eyes itched and he blinked, everything coming into view now. His surroundings were cast into strange colors, but there was a contrast between shapes and colors, and he could make out distances, which was all he needed.

“Wow,” Bill said, examining his face. “That had an interesting effect on your eyes...”

“Why? What do they look like?” Dipper prodded curiously at his face. His eyes didn't feel any different.

Bill increased in size slightly, front becoming reflective. Dipper looked at his reflection and gasped. His irises seemed to have taken over his eyes, and had shifted in color from brown to an intense green. At least, it looked kinda like green. It was hard to tell with this magical vision. But a small part of him was sure it was green. His pupils were large slits that split the green in two. He looked like some kind of demonic cat or snake.

“Mm, yes,” Bill commented, reaching out to slide a hand into Dipper's hood, stroking his hair. “Demonic... It's a good look for you.”

Dipper thoughtlessly tilted his head into the touch, blinking as he looked at himself. That was unsettling, but... the magic was effective, and that was all that mattered. “Wouldn't this happen to other people who use a spell like that?” he wondered.

“Not exactly,” Bill replied. “Usually their pupils just get really big, but stay round. Yours turned into slits. Very telling.”

“Hmm. Probably your influence.”

“Could be. You've changed quite a bit since I fixed your mind up. But you're doing most of the changing on your own.” Bill pulled his hand back. “You're becoming demonic. I do hope you'll continue. I think it'll make things even easier for you. Not to mention, it will bring us closer together.”

Closer. Dipper sighed quietly. Bill was going to be here for the rest of his life. It would be good for them to be closer. It will happen regardless... which was why he had stopped pushing him away. And he was glad he did. Bill was more willing to teach him when he was cooperative.

“Don't get too cooperative, though,” Bill teased. “That's boring.”

“But if I defy you, you'll hurt Mabel,” Dipper pointed out.

“Not if you apologize nicely right afterward,” Bill said with a blink. Or maybe he was trying to wink. Didn't really work with the one eye thing.

Dipper chuckled. “Apologize nicely? Like getting on my knees and begging for your forgiveness?”

“As fun as that'd be, you'd have to really screw up for me to want that much from you. But a 'sorry Master Cipher, I'll never do it again, Master Cipher' would be nice to hear.”

“You would love that, wouldn't you? Creep.” Dipper playfully pushed at the other, who batted his hand away. But he didn't hit him too hard. So Dipper reached out again, this time simply taking Bill's hand and tugging him closer.

“What are you... oh.” Bill allowed the human to pull him onto his lap, and sensed him lean over him slightly, arms linking around his middle, below his own arms. Dipper's cheek rested against his side. There was an almost peaceful pause, and then Dipper grunted, shifting his head.

“Hold on, that kinda hurts. Uh...” Dipper rested his head higher up, then tried to switch it to Bill's other side, before finally sighing and lifting it away from the other. “Never mind. Cuddling with you is impossible.”

“Either you need to become a demon shape, or I need to get a human body,” Bill agreed. He didn't miss how Dipper still held him in his arms despite how awkward and maybe even painful it must feel.

“Hmm.” Dipper hummed thoughtfully, a hand idly petting one of Bill's edges. The demon got nothing more than a basic awareness he was being touched, but the motion seemed to relax Dipper. “Have you thought about getting a human body?”

“I sure have.”

“Really? Wouldn't that limit your powers?”

“Yeah, but I could always just leave it if I have to be back at full power. But I am entertaining the thought of taking a body. So I can feel pain and pleasure again. So I can eat and drink. I really miss margaritas.”

That was the last beverage Dipper was expecting him to say. “Margaritas, huh?”

“Yep! One of the few things humans did right.”

“Well, if you got a body, I'd definitely treat you to some margaritas.”

“Really?”

“I mean... I'm a minor, so technically you'd have to pay for them. But then I'd give you money to pay you back.”

“It's the thought that counts.” Bill leaned back against him, finding it cute how the other held him. The kid was really falling for him, and if Bill was honest with himself (which he usually was), he was starting to feel the same way.

But they had work to accomplish and this was not the time for feelings. Now was the time for revenge and destruction. So he pulled away and turned to face Dipper, who seemed disappointed, but put his arms down without question.

“Preston is about to come in. Get ready,” Bill warned.

Dipper nodded, and Bill moved to float next to him, hiding next to the stairs. They heard the door at the top open, and loud footsteps. When Dipper looked up, he could see a faint orange glow that steadily grew brighter. It made colors look even stranger, but he could still recognize who was coming nonetheless. It was Preston, holding a lit candle out as he carefully felt his way down the stairs, grumbling to himself.

“Missing the lightning rod, knocking out our power, I'm gonna sue the power company for this, absolutely ridiculous... Now where do we keep that generator?” He reached the bottom of the stairs and made his way through the room, failing to notice either Dipper or Bill waiting nearby.

Dipper straightened up and followed Preston, taking a step every time the other did so he wouldn't be heard. When he passed a collection of dusty ceramic jars, he picked one up.

Finding the generator, Preston quickened his pace. “Ah, there it is. Now, how do I turn this bloody thing-”

And then the jar cracked across his skull, and next thing he knew, he was curled up on the floor in agony, the candle falling from his hands, its plate shattering and sending wax everywhere.

Dipper kicked the mess aside, stamping out the flame as he did. “Preston Northwest,” he said as he knelt down, one knee pinning the other in place. His hand grabbed him roughly by the neck, pushing so hard that he had to struggle to breathe.

“W-who... what's going on?” Preston demanded, one hand clutching his head and the other clawing at Dipper's clothes.

Still holding the neck of the jar, which was thick enough that it hadn't broken yet, Dipper slammed the bottom of the jar into Preston's hand, driving it into the floor and breaking several finger bones. The man cried out in pain, and pulled his hand back to cradle it against his chest.

“Payback, Mr. Northwest,” Bill said, showing himself.

“Bill,” Preston gasped. “You... no, I've paid you! Whenever you helped me, I would pay you! Have I missed anything? I can make it up, anything you want! You like gold, yes? I can get you gold. Just... call off your mercenary!”

“My mercenary? I like the sound of that. But no, I don't think I'll call him off. See, it's true that you've paid me. But not enough, considering how you've benefited. And the more I watch you, the more I realize just how corrupt you are. I can appreciate those who have power, but the way you get it is sick. The way you treat your wife and daughter... deplorable. Especially your daughter. I may be a demon, but at least I have sympathy. Something that you seem to lack.”

“I'm the richest man in town, I have to look good to the town folks, so they'll continue to support me. Which means my family cannot behave shamefully. They act up in public? They get taught a lesson. It's really quite simple.”

Blood boiling with rage, Dipper pulled his hood back and abandoned all attempts at trying to disguise his voice. “No, you piece of shit, that's not how you treat your family,” he hissed. “They aren't dogs, they're people. People who have done nothing to you! People who trust you, who loved you! And you've taken that love and just crushed it. You've hit them, conditioned them, forced them to behave how _you_ want them to. That's disgusting.”

Though Preston couldn't seem him in the lack of light, Dipper could see him clearly, and saw his eyes widen in recognition of his voice.

“The... the Pines boy?” he asked, shocked.

“Yes.” Dipper's grip on his neck tightened. “The Pines boy.”

Preston's voice hardened. “I've warned you about messing with me before, boy. You will regret this. Back off now, and I might let you off with only a few years in prison.”

Dipper didn't back down. He pressed harder against Preston's neck, until he began to choke. But the man was fighting back now, managing to get his legs up under Dipper and kick. The blow knocked the air out of Dipper, and he scrambled back, coughing and holding his stomach. Preston staggered to his feet, trying to run past, but Dipper blocked him.

“I didn't want to hurt you, but you leave me no choice.” Preston punched him in the face, snapping his head back, and he felt blood trickle from a nostril. He shook off the pain; it wasn't the first time a victim has gotten a hit on him. He focused and tackled the older man, throwing him to the floor and wrestling with him. He fought dirty, grabbing Preston's broken hand and giving it a twist that had him yelling in pain.

“I'm going to kill you,” Dipper snarled, getting his knees on either side of the other to pin him down, hands holding his wrists tightly so he couldn't punch. “I'm going to kill you and your family isn't going to miss you. They'll be so much better off without your abuse.”

“You don't have the nerve, boy,” Preston spat back at him.

Dipper's mouth quirked into what was almost a smile. “I think you'll find that I've gotten a lot of nerve since we last spoke.” Letting go of Preston's wrists, Dipper drew his fist back and punched him in the face, hard enough to immediately break his nose. Preston tried to hit back, so Dipper grabbed his left arm and broke it. The only thing more satisfying than the snap of bone was the way Preston shouted, face turning green. When he broke the other bone, the other looked like he might be so nauseous from the pain that he would throw up.

“Yeah, if you do throw up, try to turn your head to the side,” Dipper suggested. “I like this jacket.”

“What will you do if you kill me?” Preston demanded. “You think that my family can't afford the best forensic investigators? They'll figure out it was you, they'll come to that trashy shack of yours, and they'll arrest you! You'll spend the rest of your life in prison, if they don't just give you the death penalty!”

Dipper laughed. “You really think prison can hold me when I'm working with a demon? Assuming I'm even gonna get caught in the first place. Bill is really good at taking care of evidence. Now, please keep fighting. It's amusing me.”

Preston couldn't use his arms anymore, but he definitely tossed his lower body from side to side, legs kicking up, but he was unable to reach Dipper with them.

“No? Well, okay.” Dipper took out his knife, examining it. He could make a clean kill with this, or... or he could make Preston suffer. “Hey Bill? Could you cast a small light spell? Just so he can see me?”

“Sure.” Bill waved his hand, and a source-less ball of light surrounded them. Preston gasped in shock as he caught sight of Dipper's eyes, before they returned to normal. He stared at the knife the other was holding, gaze flicking between the knife and Dipper's face. He could see no remorse in the teen's eyes. No fear, no hesitation. Just pure hatred.

“I think you should get to feel what your daughter had to,” Dipper said, setting the knife aside. “You never used a blade on her. No, you used words... and your hands. Your hands, sometimes open, and sometimes curled into fists. Yes, Preston... I know you have punched her. She's told me so. Mabel and I know all about the things you've done to her. When she got older and began resisting your conditioning. She's a bright girl, you know? But well... most animals will eventually submit to conditioning if pain is involved. You knew that quite well.” Dipper struck him across the face with an open hand, feeling a splatter of blood from his nose.

“S-stop,” Preston tried to order, but his voice was weakening, losing its usual commanding tone. His haughty arrogance was rapidly fading as he realized just how helpless he was here. He had been caught by surprise and cut down, and now this younger, stronger man was planning to kill him. And no one was going to come looking for him until it was too late. But surely Dipper wasn't this cruel... how could that strange boy who giggled over chick flicks with Pacifica be capable of murder? It was impossible!

“Did you ever stop?” Dipper replied as he struck him again, this time in the jaw. “Did you stop when Pacifica cowered against a wall, holding her arms in front of her face to try and protect it?” He backhanded him from the other direction, hard enough to pop his jawbone. “Did you stop when your wife insisted she was just talking to a friend, there was no need for you to get jealous?” He got a handful of Preston's hair, twisting it and yanking his head back. “You certainly didn't listen to their pleas for mercy. I'm not going to listen to yours.” His vision was almost red with anger, hands shaking, and he wanted nothing more than to just rip into the other. Rip and beat until there was nothing recognizable left.

“Do it,” Bill urged. “Kill him. Kill him with your bare hands. Enjoy it. It'll be slow and agonizing for him, and ecstasy for you. Do it, kid. Do it for Llama. Rid this town of this horrible man.”

Preston stared up at Dipper, blinking tears of pain from his eyes, his composure all but gone. He was visibly trembling. “Dipper,” he tried. “You don't want to do this.”

Somehow, that was exactly what Dipper needed to hear. His expression hardened. “Yes, I do.” He punched him, blacking his eye. Then he punched him with the other fist. Again. And again. He lost track of how many times he drove his fists into the other's face, not stopping when bones cracked, not stopping as blood coated his gloves, not even stopping when his knuckles began to hurt. Every time Preston cried out and begged for him to stop, he would only hit harder. His blows split open the man's lips, tore his cheeks open, flattened his nose, and still Dipper kept attacking.

He wasn't sure what came over him. All he knew was that he was more furious than he's ever been. Because this wasn't just a nameless stranger who had wronged Bill. This man had wronged someone close to him, has threatened and criticized him countless times before, and hurt almost everyone else in the town in some way. He was greedy and heartless and abusive, and deserved all the pain he was getting.

Bill didn't need to assist at all, and merely floated above and enjoyed the show. He loved it when Dipper got into it. He loved seeing him let go and just attack, that bloodlust on his face, eyes wide with excitement, blood covering him. It was a delightful scene, and Bill wasn't ashamed to say he found Dipper most attractive when he was like this. That aggression was delicious, and he would never tire of seeing it.

Dipper managed to hit Preston in just the right way to knock him out, and immediately regretted it. “No, you fucker, wake up!” he yelled at him, shaking him roughly. “You're not going that easily!”

“My, you've been going for several minutes, and you still want to hurt him?” Bill asked.

“I want him to suffer,” Dipper said, looking at him. He was smiling from the thrill of adrenaline, but his eyes still held that insatiable loathing. “He will suffer. I am not letting him die easy.”

“Ohh, by all means, take as much time as you want. Just make sure you do kill him at some point.” Bill reached down to wake Preston up.

The man barely had time to register the pain assaulting him before Dipper went at him again, now pulling roughly on his broken arms and making him cry out, before delivering an uppercut that broke some of Preston's teeth inside his mouth. He gagged and spit them out, along with a generous amount of blood and saliva. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he was begging for it to stop, no more, he'll do anything...

Dipper knew he wouldn't last much longer. He would pass out again, either from stress or blood loss, but the chances of him actually dying from that were only moderate. No, had to just kill him. He could choke him, break his neck, stab him in the heart... or... or repeatedly slam his head into the floor until his skull broke.

Bill cackled. “Oh, that is demented! Go for it, but make sure you hit hard! Skulls are tough to crack.”

“W-what? Hey, no, let go!” Preston managed to find some strength to fight, trying to jerk his head out of Dipper's grip, but Dipper grabbed his head with both hands anyway.

“Goodbye, Preston,” Dipper said as calmly as he could manage. “I won't miss you.” Then he slammed his head down as hard as he could. When it collided with the floor, there was cracking in his neck, but no breaks in the skull. Preston gasped, eyes losing focus and body going limp. Before he could recover, Dipper lifted him up and threw him down further, putting more force into it. He was pretty sure that crack wasn't from the neck. A third slam, as he lost his reservations and just put all his strength into it, and he could feel the back of the skull begin to give. Somehow still conscious, Preston was screaming. It was getting on Dipper's nerves. “God... Shut...” Slam. “The fuck...” SLAM. “UP!” One final throw, and maybe it was the way Preston's head moved with the momentum, or Dipper just got a surge of adrenaline, because he slammed him down harder than ever before. There was a sick crunch and the sound of skin splitting, and Dipper could see a puddle of blood pooling below Preston's head. The man's eyes were closed, and he wasn't breathing.

Dipper pushed him over enough to see the back of his head. Blood caked it, hair hiding the exact spot where he had been hitting the floor, so Dipper pressed his fingers to it. The skin underneath was split, and he tugged at this, feeling it give. It took some work, but he managed to feel past the skin and to the bone underneath. It was in several fragments. No doubt some of those fragments have gotten into the brain.

“He's dead,” Bill said. “Beyond a reason of a doubt.”

Dipper pulled his hand back and picked up his knife, running his fingers over the blade and muttering as he magically carved runes into it.

“How do you feel?” Bill asked, giving Dipper a prod.

“I feel like... justice,” Dipper admitted. “Like this was the right thing to do.”

“It was the right thing to do.”

“Just... it was hard at first. This being Preston. But... I hate this bastard. It got easy. Once I realized how much of a shithead he is.”

“That does make it easier. And hey, you looked really good just letting him have it with your bare fists. Very nice.” Bill set his hands on Dipper's shoulders, watching him work with magic.

“Thanks. That's so messy, though. Hurts my hands, too...”

“But it's worth it. Such a sweet victory...”

Dipper finished his carving and turning to the body, extracting the soul from it. It resisted at first, hinting that Preston might still have somehow lived if medical attention was found immediately, but he ruined that chance. He took the soul, which felt so much thicker than any animal soul, brighter and more alive. But he didn't let it bother him, and absorbed it. A pain assaulted him much like the one from the deer, but more direct, hurting his heart and head most of all, giving him flashes of memories and thoughts that were not his own. Then they faded away, and he shook his head, using his knife to cut Preston's heart out. Holding it tightly, he squeezed blood from it and onto his knife, whispering the names of the ancient, powerful runes carved in its blade. The metal began glowing red, absorbing more and more of the blood, and Dipper gave it as much energy as he could, willing it to possess a strength beyond his own. Whatever force he swung that blade with, it would actually use twice as much.

At the same time, he made it so it would be forever sharp, never dulling. But its sharpness won't hurt him.

That was all he could do; he was growing weary using this magic. He stood, kicking Preston's body a few times for good measure before sticking the knife in his pocket and preparing to leave.

“Excellent job today, kid,” Bill praised him.

“Thank you.” With that, Dipper closed his eyes and imagined the comfortable wooden rooms of the Mystery Shack, letting his magic take him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Illustration by IvyDevi on Tumblr/deviantART


	18. It's About Damn Time

He had done it. He had finally done it. His hands were stained with the blood of someone he knew. And not only knew, but was the father of one of his closest friends. And he felt no remorse.

Dipper found himself chuckling as he looked at his stained gloves. The bits of skin sticking to them, how the blood was already drying. Sure, Preston was a blue blood through and through... but inside he bled red just like everyone else. Dipper laughed louder as he pulled the gloves off. Preston was dead! Preston was dead and he was thrilled! He felt no regret, no sorrow... only happiness. Okay, maybe he was a little sad because he knew Pacifica was going to be sad, and he never liked seeing his friends upset. But he knew she would get over it. She'll do so much better without that oppressive monster over her.

“Well you seem jolly,” Bill commented as Dipper's laughter quieted and he headed for the bathroom.

“I think that was one of the best kills I've made. Did you see how afraid he was? How he looked with his teeth broken out, the blood in his mouth, and his eyes were so swollen, he probably couldn't even see me at the end! That... that was amazing! I should have taken a picture!”

Bill beamed at how excited Dipper was. He waited for him to clean his face (it was stained with blood from when Preston had punched him), and when the teen dropped the gloves into the sink to clean next, he grasped his face and turned him toward him. Dipper's smile dropped for a moment, lifting his brows in confusion. The demon leaned in close, stroking a hand through Dipper's hair, before resting his face against the other's, sighing. It seemed mildly annoyed, but then Bill chuckled. “I really like seeing you happy, Pine Tree. You having a positive attitude about this makes it so much better. Like it's just a game. Please keep that up.”

“Maybe you should take me to kill people I hate more often,” Dipper replied, leaning his forehead more against the demon. It was pressed just above his eye, and not for the first time, he wished they had compatible forms.

“Maybe I should. But you don't hate a lot of people.” Bill began petting Dipper's back. “I sense a shift in your perspective, though. With Preston, you found a thrill for attacking people. Something that you want to feel more often. Well, it's all mental. You just have to tell yourself it's fun, and it will be.”

Dipper smiled and nuzzled against the other slightly. One hand came up to find Bill's, holding it lightly. “Thank you.”

“Hmm? For what?”

“For making this bearable. When I started doing this, I... I thought you were going to cruel, ordering me around all the time, abusing me, treating me like a slave, but... you don't do that. You respect me. You teach me and encourage me, you tell jokes and stories, you... make this easy. You somehow make it fun. I still don't know if it's right, what I'm doing, but... at least you give me reasons for why I'm doing it, and that really helps. So thank you.”

Bill was surprised but touched by the confession. He squeezed Dipper's hand, wondering when he had grown so attached to this human, and leaned just a little closer. It was never really a big concern for him, but now he found himself mildly wishing for a human body too. If only so he had longer, warmer arms to hold the other with, a form that he could actually shelter the boy against him with... He'll definitely need to look into getting one. Some poor sap out there somewhere would probably be willing to give up their body for something.

Dipper pulled back slightly, and Bill let him go, just taking in the boy's shy little smile, his blush. Still the hopeless romantic, even now.

“I uh... need to clean this,” Dipper said, gesturing to the gloves.

“Oh, don't waste your time with that, I've got it.” Bill snapped his fingers, and at once, all the mess was gone. Not only from the gloves, but from Dipper's shirt, face, and wherever else blood had splattered.

Dipper stared at his clothes with amazement. Then, “Wait, could you have done that for me at any time?”

“Probably.”

“...You bastard.”

“You know you love me.”

Dipper gulped and went silent, face growing redder.

“Ah, that shut you up.” Bill slid his thumb under Dipper's chin, lifting it. “Hey, want some advice?”

“Uh... sure.”

“Never be afraid of me. I like you too much to hurt you. Unless you really screw up. Otherwise, never be afraid to tell me things. I'll hear them at some point anyway.” He tapped on Dipper's head.

“Ah...” Dipper growled and pressed his hand to his temple. “I hate emotions sometimes.”

“Oh, you and me both! Too bad they're a totally natural thing that you can never totally get rid of without completely sacrificing everything that makes you sentient! What a bummer, you have to live with your feelings.” Bill flipped Dipper's bangs around. “Seriously though, kid. When are you gonna just admit how you feel?”

“Being attracted to a demon isn't normal.”

“I disagree. Besides, since when do you care about being normal?”

Dipper didn't really have a rebuttal for that. “Fair point. Okay, then... being attracted to a demon is... uh, dangerous?”

“Probably, but you've been in danger since you first came here.”

“Okay, smartass.” Dipper snatched the gloves out of the sink and returned to his room. “You win. I like you.”

“Great! What do I win?”

Dipper put the gloves down and returned to Bill, grabbing his sides and tugging him close. “Something that'll hopefully shut you up this time.” He kissed him right next to his eye. He wasn't expecting much of a reaction, but to his surprise, Bill's entire form flashed pink for a moment, eye widening. It only lasted mere seconds before returning to yellow, and then Bill was blinking and floating back.

“What-”

“That was a kiss. Goodnight, Bill.”

“I... you actually...” Bill touched the spot where Dipper had kissed him, furrowing his brow. “Ah. Well uh... thanks.”

Dipper laughed as he threw himself onto his bed, pulling his knees up to his chest as he untied his shoes and threw them off. “Is that how you blush?” he teased. “It's really cute.”

Bill cleared his throat (wait, did he even have a throat?) and said, “You know, there's no point in kissing me when I'm like this, I can't feel it like you can....”

“Yeah, I know, no nerve endings.” Dipper tugged the hoodie off and tossed it vaguely in the direction of his other dirty clothes. “But you caught onto the meaning behind it, and that made you blush. Sorta.”

“Hmph. You surprised me.”

“Sure.” Dipper laid back, snuggling under the covers. “I'm going to sleep, if you don't mind.”

“Now? The night's still young!”

Dipper eyed him. “I'll get up if you want me to, but after all the magic I used on this one, I really want to sleep.”

“You're so lazy.” Bill flew over him, landing next to him and prodding him a few times. “You know, there's only a few weeks until you have to go home! Don't you want to spend as much time out in Gravity Falls as you can?”

“In another year, I'll have as much time as I could ever want out here.” Dipper closed his eyes, yawning. He felt Bill's comforting warmth remain next to him. “You know what else is in a few weeks?”

“What?”

“My birthday.”

“Oh! Oh yeah, you're turning eighteen, aren't you? That's a pretty significant birthday. What do you want to do to celebrate?”

“I dunno yet. Party with Mabel, I guess. Hang out with our friends... and after that is when we're going back to California. Then another year of high school... Mabel will go to college and be successful, and I'll come back here and continue being your servant. For the rest of my life.”

“It doesn't seem so bad anymore though, does it?” Bill was running his hand through Dipper's hair again, and the boy relaxed.

“Not at all. I'm looking forward to learning even more from you... going to new places, meeting exciting new people... torturing them... fun.” Dipper yawned.

“Heh, loving that darkness.” Bill's palm moved over Dipper's forehead. “I guess I'll let you sleep tonight. Tomorrow will probably be a bit stressful anyway.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Dipper asked curiously, lifting his head.

“Oh, don't worry about it.” Bill patted the side of his head, and he immediately felt drowsy, like he was moments from falling asleep. He knew it was the other's magic affecting him, so he used the last of his strength to lean up and kiss Bill again, pleased at the pretty pink color the other took on again. By the time Bill was shifting back with a huff of annoyance, Dipper had fallen asleep.

 

A loud cry woke Dipper up at about six in the morning. He leapt out of bed immediately, scrambling for the door, not bothering to pull on any clothes besides the t-shirt and boxers he had fallen asleep in.

He burst into Mabel's room to find her sitting up in bed, one hand holding her cell phone to her ear, the other hand clenching the table next to her bed. When she looked up at him, her face was streaked with fresh tears.

“Mabel?” he questioned, flicking on the lights.

She sniffed and got up. “Dipper!” She ran over to throw herself into his arms, sobbing.

“What...” He gently took the phone from her, seeing Pacifica's name on it. A moment after he did, he could hear her speak. Her voice was broken, choked up.

“D-Dipper, can you hear me?” she asked.

“Yeah, I can hear you,” he replied. It was dawning on him now, what she must be calling about. Of course. There's been plenty of time for her father to be found...

“It's awful, m-my... my dad, he...” She was crying, he could hear that clearly, but she was determined to finish speaking anyway. “He's dead, he was killed!”

“What?” Dipper had become quite good at acting; his voice sounded realistically shocked. “What happened?”

“L-last night, there was a... a power outage, and... He went down to the cellar, because we have a generator, and he had to turn it on. Well, hours passed and the power never came back on, and finally we... well Mom was going to have a butler check on him, she doesn't like going down there when it's dark, but all of them had gone home by then... So she started arguing with me about who was going to find him, and... and I ended up going down there with a flashlight, and...” She began sobbing. “He was laying there on the floor, in a p-pool of blood, all thick and congealed, like... he'd been dead a while... face just... just beaten in, it was almost unrecognizable... I wouldn't have known who he was if it wasn't for his clothes. We... we're at the hospital now, I just managed to calm down enough to call Mabel... But Dipper, he... he's dead, there's nothing they can do about that, it... it was definitely murder, I... I'm so... who could do such a thing?”

Dipper had just listened calmly to her story, still holding Mabel to him with one arm, gently stroking her hair. He could feel her shifting though, glancing up at him. “I don't know. I'm so sorry, Pacifica. Do you... have any leads on who did it?”

“No, not yet, the police are examining the area and there's going to be an autopsy... doctors said the cause of death was blunt trauma, though. Like... the whole back of his head was just... eugh. All broken up, like it was hit against the floor multiple times. No weapons seemed to have been used to kill him, just someone's fists repeatedly... b-beating him... And after he was dead, they... whoever it was... cut his heart out and...” She sniffed. “I can't believe this... how could this happen...”

“Your father was very powerful,” Dipper said carefully. “I'm sure he had many enemies. At least you were spared. And your mother.”

“I guess, but... I feel awful, I would always say these terrible things about him, wishing he was gone, wishing I didn't have to put up with him yelling at me, but... now that he's gone...” Pacifica sighed, “I don't know what I'm gonna do...”

“He was abusive,” Dipper pointed out. He didn't have to see her; he knew from her sharp breath that she had flinched. “He would beat you and humiliate you. I'm sorry, but I think you're better off without him.”

“N-no, don't say that, he may discipline me but he's still my dad...”

“Discipline is lightly smacking a dog when it pees in the house. Discipline is giving a child a spanking when they break something. He didn't discipline you. He abused you. Pacifica, I know it hurts, but... just calm down. Breathe. Everything will be okay.”

She was quiet for a while. Then she said, “Can you put Mabel back on?”

“Of course.” Dipper returned the phone to Mabel. She took it, moving away from Dipper to listen.

After a few moments of discussion, Mabel said goodbye and looked back at Dipper. She was silent for a while, then said, “It was you, wasn't it?”

“Now, Mabel-”

“You killed Preston, didn't you?”

“There's a reason-”

With a furious scream, she leapt at him, slammed him to the ground, and proceeded to strike him across the face.


	19. Sis Don't Miss

For a few moments, Dipper only laid there in a daze as his sister pummeled him, aware that she had managed to make his nose start bleeding, but too shocked to fight back. Mabel almost never hit him like this, and especially not repeatedly. He didn't quite know how to respond. He could have thrown her off, but... he couldn't hurt his sister.

But as she hit him particularly hard across the brow, he growled and finally moved, reaching up to grab one of her wrists. She struggled and tried to hit him with the other, so he caught that one too, and managed to wrestle her around so she was underneath him, pinning her down.

“You monster!” she yelled, trying desperately to free herself. She was throwing her weight around and stomping at the ground with her feet, making it thoroughly difficult for Dipper to keep her down. “How could you?!” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, and she sniffed before yelling at him again. “How could you!”

“Mabel...” he said gently, but she didn't listen.

“Pacifica is our friend!” she screamed. “She's our friend, how could you do this to her?!”

Before Dipper could reply, Stan burst into the room. “I heard screaming! What's going on in here?!” He took in the sight of the two of them on the ground, Mabel pinned and Dipper's nose bleeding, and instantly knew they had been fighting. He stormed in and grabbed them both by the back of their necks, hauling them to their feet. “Both of you, kitchen, now!” He shoved them in front of him and followed them out.

Once they were seated at the kitchen table, Dipper's nosebleed being taken care of by Soos, Stan addressed the twins.

“Why were you fighting?” he demanded.

They looked at each other. Dipper had told Mabel to never tell Stan about the deal with Bill, and he silently implored her now to keep that promise. She glared at him, took in a deep breath, and said, “Pacifica called this morning. Her dad is... dead.”

A hush fell over the kitchen. Soos stared at her with wide eyes, and even Stan seemed taken aback.

“Dead? What happened?” he asked.

Mabel sighed, looking down at her hands, idly fiddling with some crumbs on the table. “We're... not completely sure. All we know is that it was a murder. The police are looking into it now.”

“Another murder? Damn...” Stan's fists clenched on the table. “If that bastard ever comes around here, I'd kill them myself.”

“Is Pacifica all right?” Soos asked with concern.

Mabel nodded. “She and her mom are okay. It was just Preston who was killed. The weird thing is, their power was shut off. Just theirs. Like lightning or something had hit their house alone. And Preston had gone down to the cellar to turn on the generator... the murderer must have been waiting for him there, because that's where the body was found.”

“How exactly did he die?” Stan questioned.

“Blunt trauma. He was beaten to death and his skull cracked open against the floor. And his heart had been cut out and left next to the body.”

Soos shuddered and Stan paled, and Dipper made a believably disgusted noise.

“That's sick... I didn't like Preston, I don't like anyone in that family except Pacifica, and even then, it's tentative. But I never wanted the man to go out like that. No one deserves that,” Stan said.

_He kinda did,_ Dipper thought.

_He sure did,_ Bill agreed.

_Oh there you are. Where were you when I was getting beaten down by my own sister?_

_I was enjoying the show. I knew the situation would resolve itself._

Mabel was looking at her phone with a glum expression. “Well... Pacifica seems to be doing all right... She's shaken, but she wasn't hurt, at least. I don't know how she'll end up feeling about this... Preston did abuse her a lot, she might be kinda relieved. Deep down.”

“She probably is, but she'll still feel guilty,” Stan said. “Especially if she is glad he won't be around to hurt her, because then she'll be guilty that she's glad he's gone. No matter what, she'll need a proper time to mourn, and you two need to support her however you can.”

“I'll offer to help her with the funeral,” Mabel suggested.

“I'm sure you'll make it lovely,” Dipper said. She gave him a dirty look.

“You'll really brighten up the whole affair,” Stan agreed. “Well, as much as you can brighten up such a thing. I do wonder though... do you think his wife will remarry? And do you think she'd be interested in a sugar daddy?”

“Grunkle Stan!” Mabel laughed, and Dipper cracked a grin.

“I'm pretty sure sugar daddies are supposed to be the rich ones,” Dipper commented.

“Ssh, she doesn't need to know that.” Stan laughed, but soon grew somber again. “Listen, just let them recover naturally. I'm sure they'll move on in time. Don't try to rush it.”

“I think I'll go see her today,” Mabel decided.

“Fine by me. I can work the cash register for a while if you want to go during work.”

“That'll be great, I just gotta call her and find out when would be a good time to go see her.”

“Well all right. I'm going to go get dressed properly now.” Stan got up, but before he left, he slapped his hand down on the table. “Let's hope they catch this murderer soon and bring him to justice.”

“We can only hope,” Mabel said, slapping her hand down over Stan's. It was Dipper's turn to give a dirty look. But he put his hand down too, and Soos joined in. They held it for a moment, then, unsure of where they were going with that, separated. Stan headed upstairs, and Soos, deeming Dipper healthy, went outside.

As Dipper and Mabel went upstairs to get ready, Dipper quietly said, “Hey, thanks for not ratting me out.”

“Of course not,” she huffed. “How was I going to look Stan in the eye and tell him that his nephew is the one behind all these violent murders?”

“It probably would have been pretty hard,” Dipper agreed.

“But this... I just can't get over how awful this is... Preston, why... you couldn't just have... have cut one of his fingers off, or something? Maybe whipped him, I dunno? Why murder?”

“That's just what Bill wanted. I didn't question it. In fact... I was glad to do it. Mabel, you know how he treated Pacifica. Always yelling at her, humiliating her, beating her for every little thing she did that wasn't what he wanted. He's been so controlling of her, and he's threatened his wife too. Maybe even hit her. He was greedy, corrupt, self-centered... he deserved to die. This town, and his family, will be so much better off without him.”

“Dipper...” Mabel wiped at her eyes. “I hated him too, but... I never would have wanted him dead. Gone forever, maybe, but... not dead.”

“That's kinda one of the only ways to make someone go away forever,” Dipper pointed out.

_Yeah you pretty much have to invoke Eldritch dimensions and quantum physics to do it otherwise,_ Bill said unhelpfully.

At the top of the stairs, Mabel stopped and leaned against the wall next to her room, covering her face with a hand and beginning to cry again.

“What's wrong?” Dipper asked with concern, touching her shoulder.

“I'm scared,” she whispered. “I'm scared of who else Bill might make you kill... What if it's Robbie next? Or Candy? Or someone else we love?”

_I doubt it, Broken Heart has never made a deal with me, and neither has Candy,_ Bill commented.  _None of your close friends have._

“Bill hasn't made deals with anyone we're close to,” Dipper assured her. “We've actually pretty much gotten everyone around here... no one we really knew. From now on, I'll probably be traveling more.”

“I don't know how you're able to stand this. It has to be hard.”

“It was. But not anymore. I've just kinda accepted that this is my life. And... if thinking it's fun helps me do it, then fine. I'm going to think that. I know it must worry you, knowing what I'm doing. If you had taken the deal, I would be constantly wondering how you were doing, if you were hurt, if you were upset... so I understand. Just... know that I'll be okay. No matter what. I'll always have Bill with me, and he'll protect me. Heck, maybe I'll take care of everyone who has gone back on a deal, and then I won't have to do this as much. Word might spread, I don't know. But once it slows down, I'll probably be doing more magic practice and research than anything.”

“Can you just promise me something?” Mabel asked firmly.

“Anything,” Dipper said earnestly.

“Can you try to do it quickly and painlessly? At least try to be humane about it?”

Dipper was silent for a moment as he had a quick discussion with Bill. Then he said, “I'll do my best, but Bill and I both agree that it's more fun to take our time.”

She drew herself up and scoffed with disgust, going into her room.

“But if their offense was minor I'll try to do it quickly!” he shouted as she slammed the door in his face. He stood there for a moment, then sighed and went to his room to get dressed.

Once they were in the room and the door was shut, Bill appeared with his usual flash. “She's so kind,” he said, leaning on his cane. “Imagine what it'd be like if she had agreed to do this instead of you. Do you think she'd be able to handle it?”

“She would do it,” Dipper said as he pulled on a clean shirt and hunted for a pair of shorts. “She would hate it, it would take her longer to get used to it, but once she did, I'm sure she could be ruthless. Just quick and efficient, killing and leaving. She won't let herself get joy out of it. She'll probably just try to pretend it's not happening. But she'll be good at it anyway.”

“Probably. But I think if I gave her some help, she might enjoy it. She could probably find something to laugh about. Everything has the potential to be funny to her. She's very optimistic.” Bill tossed Dipper a pair of socks from the dresser. “I can see her playing with her victims, like a cat plays with a mouse. You know, batting them around, clawing them, ripping skin off bit by bit... before finally killing them with a swift blow to the neck. Giggling as she wraps intestines around her neck like a scarf.”

That was a lovely mental image. Dipper shook his head as he finished dressing. “Yeah, uh... I'm glad I took the deal instead.”

“I'm sure you are. Oh, that reminds me. I don't think I've had you tear organs out yet, we usually just leave those inside unless they happen to spill out. Well, I think that gives me an idea for tonight...”

“Oh God. I know that look. Bill, what are you thinking?”

Bill's lower eyelid crinkled with amusement. “How much do you like horror movie cliches?”

 

Really, Dipper pretty much knew what it was going to be from the moment Bill said 'horror movie cliches' but nothing really prepared him for taking a chainsaw, revving it up, and chasing a woman through the woods with it.

He was actually in Wyoming, having teleported with careful instruction from Bill. It really was becoming easier. Having never been too far from the west coast, Dipper wasn't too familiar with mountains. So of course he found himself in the Rockies as he hunted his next victim, but it made the chase exciting. And of course, the body will probably go for days without being found.

He ran faster, breathing hard, but not as hard as the person he was chasing. She was beginning to stumble, wavering back and forth, head down and arms barely pumping. He was quickly closing the distance between them. All he knew about her was that her name was Mary, and Bill wanted her dead. That was really all he cared about.

When he was close enough that he could have reached out and grabbed Mary's hair, Dipper swung the chainsaw sideways, and the woman didn't have to worry about her legs hurting anymore.

The two halves of her body hit the ground, and Dipper kicked the lower half aside as he moved to stand over her. A portion of the spine was visible sticking out, and intestines and other guts were falling out as she clawed desperately at the ground, trying to drag herself away, screaming without pause.

Dipper shook the chainsaw lightly as it sputtered in protest; contrary to what the movies show, these particular tools are  _not_ efficient murder weapons. The chain was already gummed up with pieces of flesh and muscle tissue, and he had been literally sprayed with blood when it made contact with the other. Not to mention... this thing was heavy and loud.

But Bill was watching and he wanted to give him a good show, so Dipper put up with the inconvenience of the chainsaw. He started to lower it so he could cut off Mary's head and get this over with, but the demon stopped him.

“Ya know, I really think you should shove it upward into her chest cavity through her exposed organs,” he suggested.

Dipper sighed. “Of course you do.”

Bill grabbed his arm and shook it. “Come on, imagine it! It'll be funny!”

“I won't be able to use this again if I do that.”

“That's fine, it wasn't ours in the first place.”

“True.” Dipper shook his head as he looked down at the other, who had slowly stopped screaming, but only because she seemed to be rapidly going into shock. She was pale and her face had fallen down to rest in the leaves, eyes staring vacantly straight ahead. Blood pooled around her, still draining out. Dipper poked at the organs with his shoe, jostling them around and making her flinch, crying out and shutting her eyes. Her fingers dug into the dirt, but she was unable to push herself up. She didn't even try.

“This is boring,” Bill said. “Go on, just shove it up in there.”

“This is going to be messy...” Dipper leaned down and used all his strength to slam the guide bar into the woman, and was immediately splattered with blood, bone, and viscera. The tool screeched in protest as he shoved it further in, the chain barely managing to continue turning the further it went, and smoke was beginning to drift out of it. Finally, the motors burnt up and it stopped. His fingers were cramped to the point that it actually took effort to remove them from the handle. He flexed his fingers as he straightened up, looking down at the mangled body. She was dead, all right. He watched the blood pooling in her mouth and running out, took in the strained and agonized expression she had died with.

“That... was something,” he said, brushing bone fragments and gore off himself.

“Those really aren't very good for killing,” Bill commented. “A shame. That could have been much more entertaining. I personally would have liked to see you push it so far that the chain came back out her throat, but eh. This was good enough.” He floated closer, reaching out to brush his finger across Dipper's cheek and looking at the blood, amused.

“You want part of the soul, or nah?” Dipper asked as he leaned down, thinking the words to extract it and pulling it free.

“Oh, you can have this one. While you were chasing her I went into her house and got what I needed. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“No problem.” Dipper absorbed the soul, cringing as it hurt him before converting to energy. His work done, he gave the handle of the chainsaw a curious shake, only to decide that it wasn't going anywhere. From what he could tell, the chain was locked up around Mary's rib bones. Oh well.

Dipper convinced Bill to magically remove the blood from him like he had done yesterday, and then headed home, not sure whether he was relieved or worried that he was enjoying every single kill he made now.


	20. Paz's Atonement

The last few weeks in Gravity Falls seemed to pass much too quickly. Dipper was kept busy, between his work in the Shack, going after deal-breakers for Bill, and practicing magic. Days and nights just flew by, and before he knew it, it was three days until his and Mabel's eighteenth birthday, and four days until they would have to return to California.

But today was the funeral of Preston Northwest. It seemed like most of the town attended, as well as many well-dressed and most-likely-rich strangers from other places. The ceremony was closed-casket, for obvious reasons. It was held at the local cemetery, early in the morning when the Sun was just beginning to rise.

Dipper hadn't really cared to attend, but Pacifica was his friend and she expected him to pay respects, so he went to the funeral anyway. He spent most of it sitting in the back, fidgeting with the tie that felt much too tight around his neck, his other arm around Mabel for support. She seemed to be doing fine now, though. Her eyes were a little teary, but she wasn't crying. She was just watching the priest speak, going through all the usual nonsense. “Beloved by his peers... very successful... a true role model...” A bunch of BS spouted to make everyone feel good about that person in the coffin, as if his life was important while it lasted. Just a cookie cutter speech that could be slightly altered depending on who the dead person was. It wasn't unique, it wasn't special. That priest probably didn't even know Preston. Dipper certainly hasn't seen him around before. Did Gravity Falls even have a church?

Dipper ended up just silently chatting with Bill in his mind, trying not to laugh as the demon cracked jokes about the way Preston had died, and smiling as Bill criticized the near-sermon that was being given.

_All this talk of moving on to Heaven, being with God, blah blah... so boring. Not to mention, idealistic. When you die, you don't go anywhere. You're just dead. Your consciousness disperses and your energy returns to the universe. That's it. If you prepare properly before death, you could be reincarnated. But an afterlife? Hah. Wishful thinking._

Eventually, the priest led them through a prayer, and then stepped away from his podium so anyone that had their own words could come up and talk. Pacifica and her mother went up to the front. Unsurprisingly, Priscilla Northwest was on the arm of an unfamiliar man with an expensive suit, giving credibility to the rumor that had already started about her planning to remarry.

Priscilla thanked everyone who had showed up in support of their family, and told some glamorized stories from Preston's younger years, as well as trying to make some jokes, but it was clear that her heart wasn't in it. She ended up just looking at the casket, resting a hand on it, before sobbing and returning to her seat, her consort hurrying after her.

Pacifica stayed at the podium, nervously pulling the microphone over to herself. “I just... want to thank everyone who came,” she said. “Dad was...” She swallowed. “Was a very successful person in life, there's no doubt about that. He accomplished a lot, had a lot of influence, no doubt aided by his relation to the... town founder.” She lowered her voice a bit; she was one of the few who knew about the Northwest cover up. “He did a lot of things to maintain his wealth and reputation. Some of which weren't exactly honest. Some of which... hurt his family.” She looked into the crowd, focusing on Dipper and Mabel. They sat up more, giving her reassuring smiles. Taking in a deep breath, Pacifica continued, “I appreciate my home, and my friends, and the opportunities I've been given. But I know what they say about my family, and I am not here to try and refute those claims, because most of them are probably true.”

There was some movement and murmuring from the crowd, and the attending press members were definitely taking notes.

“I just want to say that I want to make things better. I'm tired of the lies, the dirty deals, the double-crossing. I want to clean the... blood from our hands, so to speak. So as the descendant of Nathaniel Northwest, and my father's only child, I hereby take ownership of all Northwest assets.” There were definite gasps, and Pacifica met her mother's eyes. “I am eighteen, after all. A legal adult. And Dad's will left me a lot. So the mansion? Mine. Our investments? Mine. Mom, of course you can stay with me. You and your boyfriend, whether or not you decide to get married. But I'm going to take over Dad's work, and I'll do it fairly. I need to fix what this family has broken. Why not start now?” She sighed, stepping away from the podium. “Thank you, again, for attending.” She barely glanced at Preston's casket as she returned to her seat.

Dipper gave Mabel an incredulous look, and she looked back at him, just as shocked. But then she smiled weakly, shrugging, and began clapping. Dipper clapped too, prompting others to do the same.

When it settled down, a few more people went up to the front to talk, but nothing they could say was as memorable as Pacifica's declarations. There were family members from both sides, and some of Preston's business partners, and a couple others. Then the funeral was drawn to a close, the casket lowered into the ground, while someone stood nearby and played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. A very solemn affair, even if the deceased wasn't the most beloved of citizens.

As soon as it was all over, soil being patted down over the casket, Dipper and Mabel ran to find Pacifica. She was surrounded by a crowd of people, reporters and fellow citizens alike, and was answering their questions. When she saw her friends, though, she pushed through the others and ran to meet them.

“Paz, that was amazing!” Mabel called, taking the other into her arms and holding her tight. “You were so confident up there!”

“Thanks.” Pacifica hugged her back, resting her head against Mabel's shoulder. “I was worried that no one would take me seriously, I'm barely eighteen, I look like I'm sixteen, but... but they supported me, and I'm so happy. I can start fixing things. There is so much bad history in my family, but... but now Dad can't stop me from making a better name for us. He's not here to be greedy and selfish, to keep people down unless they agree with him... Now I'm in charge. And oh, I have so many ideas.” She pulled back, coughing a little. “I uh... will need to talk to our accountant, and our lawyer, and... a lot of other people, but I'm sure I'll figure this all out. Mom can help me.”

Dipper put his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You'll do great. This town needs someone like you running things.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks.” She hopped up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, then whirled to Mabel, kissing her cheek as well. “I gotta go, guys.”

“Hey, you're coming to our birthday party, right?” Mabel called as she started to walk away. “Eighteenth birthday bonanza, it's gonna be wild!”

Pacifica turned and flashed them a grin and a thumbs-up. “I wouldn't miss it, Pines. I'll be there. In three days, right?”

“Yep! Shack is closing early, you can come by any time around noon! The party ends... whenever we feel like it!”

She laughed. “I'll definitely be there. See you then.”

“See you,” Mabel waved, and then let Dipper move his arm through hers and lead her away.

“Where do you think Stan got off to?” Dipper asked, looking around.

“Oh, I saw him wander out about thirty minutes ago,” Mabel said. “He really hates funerals, you know.”

“Oh, right... And he didn't really like Preston either. Well, let's find him.”

Luckily, Stan wasn't too far away. He had just left the cemetery and was sitting on the hood of his car, watching the Sun rise. The twins silently sat next to him, and the three said nothing as it grew brighter out, the sky filling with oranges and pinks that slowly faded into blue, dotted with clouds.

Finally, Dipper said, “You ready to go?”

Stan looked down, nodding. “Yeah, I'm ready.” As they got in the car, he asked them if he missed anything interesting. They told him about Pacifica taking over everything her dad had done, and Stan nodded in approval. “Can't wait to see what she does with it. The girl's bright, she'll do a good job.”

He started the car and drove them back to the shack.

 

The last few days passed. The twins had their eighteenth birthday party right in the yard of the Mystery Shack. There was plenty of pizza, chips, cake, and soda, and Dipper combined his computer skills with Mabel's love of music to turn it into a karaoke dance party. The guests were able to sing and dance to their heart's content, in between eating food and telling stories and playing a game of 'tease the stray cats and Soos with a laser pointer'. Grenda and Marius actually made a surprise appearance, much to Mabel's delight. And as it turned out, they were engaged. That certainly made the party even happier.

Pacifica was in a good mood throughout the day, and if one didn't know any better, they would never guess she had just lost her father. It seemed like she had just put it out of mind, focusing instead on bettering her family name. She sang several songs with Mabel, danced with her, and at some point the two wove flowers into each other's hair and proceeded to playfully argue over who wore it better.

Presents and cards were opened, and thanks given. Dipper in particular was overwhelmed by the very shiny and _very_ advanced laptop that Grenda and Marius had bought for him, and was sure he thanked them at least five times. Mabel's gift from them had been just as fantastic: an expensive tablet for digital art and a professional editing program to go with it. She had thrown herself at them and peppered them both with kisses in between excited thank yous. She promised that she was going to try them out immediately when she got back to her laptop at home.

The other gifts were nice as well. Candy had bought Mabel a beautiful dress in shades of blue, pink, and purple, covered with glitter and lace and other shinies, and Dipper just knew that was going to be her prom dress for their senior year. As Mabel was appreciating the finer details of the dress, Dipper unwrapped Candy's gift to him; a collection of several books that he had been admiring in the mall one day but hadn't wanted to spend the money on.

“Wow, thanks,” he said, browsing through the titles. “I'll read these on the way home.”

“I hope you like them, I read the summaries, very intriguing,” she said, smiling and helpfully collecting the wrapping paper he had discarded.

Mabel also received jewelry from various guests, and art and sewing supplies, along with gift cards and money. Dipper ended up receiving considerably more money; he was hard to shop for, apparently. He did get some interesting books though, and he quite liked the detailed gryphon statuette that Stan got for him. Mabel was presented with a unicorn statuette, which she loved.

A few people left over the course of the day, but by the time the Sun was setting, their closest friends were still present. Stan ended up going inside, and Soos and Melody had to get back to their house to take care of their pets, but Pacifica, Candy, Grenda, Marius, and Thompson remained. Dipper was kinda disheartened that Thompson was the only remaining member of his original group of friends in Gravity Falls. Wendy was going to college and living in Portland, Tambry and Robbie had eloped and were in Vegas last he heard, and Nate and Lee were traveling across North America in an attempt to visit every state and were also apparently dating. Still, his old friends were off living their lives, and he couldn't really be bitter about it. He just wished he could see them again.

The few teenagers remaining at the party ended up having a bonfire, talking Thompson into going to buy bags of marshmallows. When he returned, they skewered the snacks on random sticks and cooked them over the fire, telling ghost stories, most of which had truth to them.

Dipper could feel Bill's presence once night fell, but the demon seemed content to just sit in his mind and listen to the stories. He even convinced Dipper to let him possess him just enough to speak through his mouth and tell one of his own stories. Though Dipper was hesitant, he figured it could be amusing, and let him. And what ended up coming out of his mouth was probably one of the most spine-tingling tales about an abandoned city that he has ever heard.

By the time he (or rather, Bill) was done, everyone had found someone to cling onto in fear, the fire flickering close to the ground because no one had been brave enough to get up and grab more wood for it.

Pleased, Bill gave control of Dipper's vocal cords back to him.

“So uh... did you like it?” he asked, chuckling.

There was a tense pause, and then Candy lifted her arms. “Sequel!”

“Uh, well, um...” Pacifica cleared her throat. “That was... terrifying.”

“I think I stopped breathing at one point,” Grenda commented.

Dipper got up, needing to stretch. “Well, I'm gonna get more logs for the fire.”

“Uh... you know what, I think we should go to bed, actually,” Mabel said. “We have a long trip tomorrow.”

“Oh, right... we're leaving early, aren't we? Yeah, we should go inside.” Dipper instead kicked some dirt over the fire, putting it out. The others got up, and they cleaned up the yard before saying goodbye to each other. Mabel and Pacifica shared a long hug near Pacifica's car, and Dipper talked to Grenda and Marius as the two waited for their chauffeur to come get them. Thompson and Candy, meanwhile, returned to their vehicles and went home.

By the time Grenda and her boyfriend left, Pacifica was still here, still talking to Mabel. Dipper looked at the girls to see them lightly holding each other's arms, standing very close as they spoke. Their voices were light, but their expressions seemed serious. Finally, Mabel gave the other girl a hug, and Dipper could read her lips as she said goodbye to her. When they separated, Pacifica waved to Dipper.

“Bye, Dipper!” she called to him. “I'll see you next summer!”

“See you,” he called back, waving too.

“And Mabel...” She smiled sadly. “I'll see you as soon as you can make it back.”

“I'll try to visit before going to college,” Mabel assured her. “If I can. Until then, hey, we have our phones, and we have the Internet!”

Pacifica nodded. “Right. We do.” She opened the car door, hesitated, and then leaned up to kiss Mabel. And not on the cheek, either.

Dipper gave a low whistle and Mabel jerked back, blushing. Pacifica ducked into the car and closed the door, and it was soon hauling out of the parking lot and down the road.

“Well, congrats,” Dipper said, coming over to clap Mabel on the back.

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered, looking dazed. Her fingers came up to press curiously against her lips. “Did she just... oh my gosh. We've gotten really close lately, but... wow. She just. _Kissed_ me.”

“How was it?”

Mabel considered, and said, “She tasted sweeter than a boy.”

Dipper laughed. “Well, we have been eating marshmallows. Come on, lovebird, let's get inside.”

Mabel nodded and followed him in. Dipper couldn't help but wonder exactly how close the two girls have gotten over the summer. Now he felt bad for not paying that much attention to them. He got so caught up with Bill that he had failed to see the relationship his sister was forming with her best friend. He could have supported them, but he didn't. He was a bad brother...

“Ah, don't worry about it,” Bill said, manifesting once he was alone in his room. “That's something for them to figure out on their own. Whether or not you're there for it makes no difference. But man, they spent a lot of time with each other this summer. I'm sure you noticed that, at least. But hey, no point worrying about it now. You've got a trip tomorrow. Go to sleep.”

“Are you sure? You don't need me to... to kill someone, or use some magic, or something?”

“Nah, not tonight. You get some rest, we'll pick back up on that when you get back home.”

“Home. Right.” Dipper threw on some pajamas and crawled into bed. He supposed he was looking forward to seeing his parents again, but... when he thought of home, his mind conjured up images of the forest he has spent many summers exploring. He thought of the beautiful sky, the millions of stars at night, the chirping of insects and birds, the strange creatures that lived here. He didn't really think at all of bright, sunny California and that neat neighborhood in Piedmont.

He felt Bill settle onto the bed next to him, not really weighing anything, but putting off enough warmth that he was easy to sense. The demon's hand settled on his temple. “You'll be back to this home before you know it too. Now sleep.”

With a sigh, he allowed Bill's magic to take over, lulling him to sleep.


	21. Settling Back In

It seemed almost strange being back in California. The twins' parents were outside to greet them as Dipper parked the car in the driveway, and they exchanged hugs and kisses before taking their luggage inside. Dipper looked around the neighborhood, at houses that were closer together than he would have liked, the trees that really could have been more numerous, and mowed lawns. He could hear cars driving by on nearby roads. His heart already ached for the peacefulness of Gravity Falls, overgrown grass, dark forests, old homes and that smell of pine sap on the wind. Waddles had come home with them, but that didn't cheer Dipper up much.

Noticing her son's glum expression, Mrs. Pines said, “Dipper, are you okay?”

“Hm?” He looked over at her and smiled. “Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I just kinda miss Gravity Falls.”

“Well, you won't be gone long,” she said. “You're moving back after you graduate, right?” Dipper and Mabel had already told their parents of their plans for after school.

“Yeah, I am.”

“You just have to get through a year and then you can go back. It'll be easy.”

Dipper nodded and took the last of the suitcases inside. He only had a few minutes to unpack some things before his parents decided to take their kids out to eat as a birthday present, and soon they were back in a vehicle heading toward San Francisco.

_I don't know how you stand it, Pine Tree,_ Bill whispered in Dipper's head.  _Tall buildings, the lack of nature, it's... oppressive._

Dipper nodded slightly as he flipped a page of one of the new books he had received.  _Yeah, I'm used to it, but I don't like it much. Ever since my first summer in Gravity Falls, Piedmont just seems... overbearing._

_I do like this stretch of road, though. A bit too open for my tastes, but that does give a nice view of the sky. And without any big cities nearby it would have a wonderful night sky. We should stargaze tonight._

_Sure. If I'm done unpacking._

_I'll help you. Just call for me when you get home. For now, I've got things to do. Talk to ya later._

Then Bill's presence was gone, and Dipper was alone with his thoughts. He focused on his book, occasionally speaking when addressed, but mostly staying quiet. Mabel, meanwhile, filled their parents in on everything interesting that had happened in Gravity Falls. Except for the whole near death experience, of course. And she also didn't mention her brother making that life-changing deal with Bill. No, she talked of her adventures with her friends, and the various cute boys she flirted with, and of the paintings she made and sold while there.

That last one made Dipper glance over at her. Paintings? He really had shut her out, hadn't he? He couldn't really recall seeing her paint at all.

Then Mabel told them about Preston Northwest's death, and Pacifica taking over the family's business.

“We were following the murders in the town,” Mr. Pines said. “We were almost going to tell you to come home, but decided that the odds of you being attacked weren't that high. You're both excellent at defending yourselves, and my uncle is... very protective. He would never let anything happen to you.”

“No, we were fine,” Mabel said. “They still have no idea who it was, though... I hope they're gone by next year. I don't want Dipper to have to worry about that.” She gave him a sly look, though, and he tried not to smile.

“I'm sure they'll find them,” Mr. Pines said. “So, Dipper, you haven't talked much. What were you doing? The way Mabel was talking, you weren't really with her that much.”

“Oh, no, we kinda... did our own thing for once,” Dipper replied. “She was socializing with her friends and having a good time, and I... well, I spent more time exploring the town and the forest. Finding things for my journal, and all...”

“Ah. Did that keep you busy?”

“Very busy, and I found lots. Even a dragon.” He knew his parents were still skeptical of all his stories, and he had accepted that. But he wasn't going to lie to them unless he absolutely had to.

“That sounds dangerous,” his mother commented.

“Oh, it was,” Mabel said. “It almost killed us.”

Dipper kicked the seat in front of him as he quickly sat up, nudging her. “Mabel!”

“Well, it did,” she huffed. She rolled one of her sleeves up and leaned forward. Even though Bill had healed her, she still had a scar, which she showed her mom. “Look, here's where it bit me.”

Mrs. Pines glanced at her arm, then did a double-take. “You have a scar!” She stared at the marked skin, grasping Mabel's wrist as she looked at her arm from different angles.

“But we got away from it,” Dipper said hastily. “I pepper-sprayed it and it left us alone. We're fine.”

“You really need to be more careful out there,” Mr. Pines said. “That town is extremely dangerous. And I know how curious you both are. If you really did find a... a dragon, you're lucky it only did that much.”

Wanting to change the subject, Dipper said, “Well, we didn't mess with anything else dangerous. The rest of the summer was pretty relaxed. So uh... where are you taking us to eat at?”

His mother replied, “Oh, you'll see.”

“Is it that Mexican restaurant?” Mabel asked excitedly.

“You'll have to wait and find out.”

While Mabel laughed and pestered them for hints, Dipper leaned back and lifted his book again, thoughts occasionally drifting to the town he had left. This year was going to take forever.

 

Before long the summer was over and the twins returned to school. Mabel was soon catching up with her friends and getting involved in the same clubs as last year, and even taking up volleyball. Dipper had a couple close friends, but besides them, he didn't really hang out with anyone. He simply showed up, did his work, and returned home at the end of the day. He tried to hang out with the science club for a few weeks, but it didn't seem to hold the same interest as it used to, so he dropped out of it.

It was considerably more difficult for Dipper to sneak out to run errands for Bill now. His parents would notice if he got in his car and left at night, so he would instead leave right after school to take care of anything Bill needed done, simply telling his parents he was studying with a friend. Still, it wasn't a daily occurrence. He was dealing with Bill's enemies once a week now, at most. The rest of the time he was leading a fairly standard life for a teenager in twelfth grade.

Bill didn't seem to mind too much, though. He said there will be plenty of time for Dipper to serve him, and for now, he needed to focus on school and do well so no one would bother him. Before going to bed, Dipper would often practice magic in his room, and this was something he could do daily. He was soon excelling at anything he attempted, and Bill was proud of him. The demon soon began bringing him reading material, old spellbooks he could learn from, first teaching him the languages inside, and then tutoring him through every chapter. It was nice, and Dipper would stay up for hours reading with only a single lamp on, usually getting chewed out by one of his parents when they found him still awake at midnight on a school night, but he kept doing it anyway.

Weekends were a time for going on long journeys, and Dipper became more and more proficient with his teleportation. By September he successfully traveled to the east coast, landing somewhere in Florida among huge oak trees draped in moss. Bill confirmed he had arrived in the correct state, and he was tired but proud. It had taken some more traveling to find who exactly they were after, but it was still a good bit of magic.

Absorbing souls hardly even hurt anymore. Not even human ones. And Dipper began using them, weaving magic into his body to strengthen his muscles, give him endurance and speed he would never have naturally. His best knife was covered with enchantments, one of which literally drained life from a person and turned it into energy for him as he struck at them. Very useful.

And every day, it seemed he and Bill grew closer and closer. As soon as Dipper was alone, Bill would appear to him and hold his hand, lean against him, watch him and speak to him with such happiness. There was really no tension between them anymore. Dipper no longer hesitated to do anything he asked of him, so Bill never had to threaten him or even really give him orders. They argued playfully sometimes, even had magical fights, but there was no fear. Bill didn't want Dipper to be afraid of him; it was so much more satisfying when someone served him completely of their own free will.

Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, Dipper had concluded that he was falling in love with the demon. Despite their rocky beginnings, the initial distrust, the manipulation... he liked him. He was really fond of him, enjoyed spending time with him, appreciated everything that the other has taught him... he wanted to be with him for the rest of his life. Well, of course he would be anyway. But he wanted to be. He was always thinking about Bill, imagining what else the demon had to teach him, what they could do together, where they would go... He was obsessed with him.

And at his age, Dipper was also unfortunately influenced by hormones. His thoughts sometimes strayed into dirtier territories, and it wasn't like that was a bad thing, it was natural, just... Bill could read his mind. And with him already having an emotional attachment, his mind really did like to conjure up images of their relationship becoming more... physical, so to speak. Which he wanted, and he knew Bill was open-minded, but... it really wasn't appropriate to think these things about him.

But hormones often refused to be ignored, and some nights did find Dipper taking care of the problem in the easiest, quickest way, just trying to keep his thoughts clear and not accidentally get Bill's attention. After all, the demon wasn't always spying on his thoughts. When not with Dipper, he was usually out in the Mindscape, maybe halfway across the planet, maybe in another dimension, who knows. But he wasn't going to be listening to Dipper's thoughts all the time.

But one night, he may have gotten just a little bit carried away.

And he may have just let the tiniest whine of, “Bill, please...” slip out as he used his hand to push himself to his edge.

And of course, Bill, the bastard, heard. And not only heard, but decided to come see what Dipper needed.

“Yeesss, Pine Tree, how may I- oh.”

“Bill?!” Dipper jerked up, scrambling to drag covers over himself, unable to make eye contact. “I, shit, I...”

“Ohh. You were... right.” Luckily, Bill didn't seem angry or disgusted. He seemed more quizzical than anything, leaning slightly on his cane, eye sweeping over Dipper's quite disheveled appearance. “Want me to leave?”

“N-no, you don't have to... fuck...” Dipper ran his hand through his tangled hair, keeping his eyes aimed at a point just to the side of Bill. “Look, I was just...”

“Pine Tree, relax. Do you think you're the first human I've seen pleasuring themselves? People have been doing that for millennia. Calm down. I don't care.”

Dipper slowly looked at Bill's eye, seeing that he was amused. Aware of how much he was blushing, Dipper said, “Even if you have seen it before, it's still awkward for me...”

“Well if I had known what you were doing, I probably wouldn't have showed up. Well, I might still have.” Bill gave him a mouthless smile. “You make the most interesting faces when you're in pleasure.”

“Oh God...” Dipper screwed his eyes shut, flopping down and throwing an arm over his face.

“Aw, don't be embarrassed, sapling.” Bill landed next to him and ran a hand through his hair. “It's natural. And hey, when I have a human body of my own, I can even help you out with that stuff.”

That made Dipper look up, shock subsiding into hope and maybe a bit of arousal. “You... you would help?”

“Mm yep.” Bill played with a lock of hair, curling it around. “I'd be happy to. I do really like you, after all. As close as we are already, I think the next natural step is physical affection, hmm?”

Dipper nodded in agreement, tilting his head into the other's hand. “I'd like that.”

“Of course you would. So, want me to leave and let you do your thing, or would you rather I stayed here and watched? I could help, actually...”

Dipper's face grew hot and he pulled back. He was not ready for that kind of thing yet. “N-no, that won't be necessary, just... you can go back to doing whatever you were... I can handle this alone.”

“Heh, of course you can. Well, have fun, then.” Bill started to float away, then stopped and turned back to Dipper. “Oh yeah, here's something for you to think about while you're doing that... I don't play gentle. When I finally get a human body and I can properly touch you, and you submit to me, I am going to give it to you fast and rough, and I'll get you screaming underneath me, begging me for more.”

Dipper choked back a moan, almost grabbing himself before managing to stop. Bill laughed at his distress.

“I can't wait to show you how rough I am. You're going to love it. Pleasant dreams, Pine Tree.” Bill tipped his hat to him and disappeared. After a few moments, Dipper swore and returned his hand to between his legs, working to finish now, unable to stop thinking about how Bill had described his style. Forget everything else between them... that was probably the cruelest thing Bill has done to him. But that was fine... he'll get to experience it for real one day. Just had to hold out until then. Hopefully it won't be such a long wait.


	22. Coming Home

It felt like forever, but finally winter break arrived. Two weeks of no school, just relaxing and enjoying the holidays. The Pines family wasn't particularly religious, but because it was traditional, they celebrated Hanukkah, playing games with dreidels, exchanging gifts on each of the nights they lit a candle. And not to mention, cooked and chowed down on plenty of delicious, oily foods.

Dipper used the break from school as an opportunity to spend more time with Mabel. It felt like they've been growing distant, and he wanted to try and make up for it. She was hesitant, but responded positively to his attempts at bonding. She eagerly took him out shopping, and decked him out in the most obnoxious Christmas-themed sweaters she could find. She would travel around looking for inspiration for her artwork, and he went with her to encourage her, offering critique as she sketched or painted. She really had an eye for designing, and made good money by designing holiday cards for kids they went to school with. They didn't keep a Christmas tree in the house, but they did set one up outside to go with their other decorations, and he helped Mabel deck it out with glitter, baubles, and lights. They made ornaments together out of clay, which they would paint and glaze before hanging them from the tree.

They bonded well over those two weeks, and Dipper apologized several times for how he had shut her out of his life for a while. She had shrugged and accepted it, telling him that she understood, but she wanted her last year living with her twin to be meaningful. He promised that even when school started again, he wasn't going to ignore her.

True to his word, when the spring semester began, he didn't isolate himself. It would have been easy to just hole himself up in his room every afternoon to do magic and research, but instead, he forced himself to stay after school and participate in clubs. Mabel recruited him onto the Yearbook Committee, telling him that they needed his computer expertise. And he also went to her Art Club, where he could listen to the various artists of the school discuss techniques and trade critiques, and also work on various props and backdrops for the theater group. Mabel was right at home doing this. She was pretty much in charge of costuming. Her sewing skills have extended beyond sweaters by now. Any article of clothing you needed, she could make it.

Dipper wasn't too shabby at art himself. He could sketch somewhat realistically, a skill he's gained after years cataloging the strange things he's found in Gravity Falls. But he was more of a writer. He had excelled at his Honors English IV class in the fall semester, and had opted to take a creative writing class this semester just for fun. He spent his time in the Art Club just helping with the finances, since he had become quite good with money working for Grunkle Stan. Sometimes he would pick up a paintbrush if they were painting a large prop that didn't require much detail, but otherwise he was content to just sit among the group and offer advice.

Strangely, Bill didn't seem to mind Dipper becoming more active at school. If anything, he seemed to encourage it. He was interested to hear about whatever Dipper learned or did, especially anything relating to history. Because he would then tell stories of what he was doing during that time, which were usually very interesting. Dipper ended up having Bill help him study. Who made a better study partner than a demon who's been around for millennia, after all? Although Bill's lessons tended to be a bit... questionable.

“Ronald Reagan was pretty cool but what that book doesn't tell you is how he was an excellent pole dancer.”

Regardless, Dipper learned a lot from Bill, and could ask him for help on anything. History, science, even math. Although math was one of Dipper's strong points, so he didn't need as much help on that. Indeed, some of his calculus work actually seemed to confuse Bill.

“Okay, I mean, I get the answer, that's right, but... how did you arrive at that conclusion? What do those symbols _mean_? Ugh, this is like the universe's hardest cipher.”

“Heh. It's all right to not know something for once.” And Dipper would lean over to kiss him and get his face slapped away by angry little hands. Bill was adorable when he was annoyed.

Like last semester, Dipper would go out about once a week, maybe more if he had time, to collect payments for his partner. Some involved killing, and others just involved minor torture or just some roughing up before the person relented and gave what they owed. A few times, he was able to just scare people into submission. He found that he was slightly disappointed in the ones that didn't fight back. That was boring. But the main point of all this was to just get what Bill had been promised, and some intimidation was all it took, then fine. He didn't have to make kills all the time. Who cares if they were... fun.

As they got into the last few months of school, Bill began leaving Dipper alone more so he could focus on the increase in assignments. Pages and pages of math problems, essays, projects, big tests that were worth 70% of your final grade... Nothing that difficult for him, but it was time-consuming, and he wanted to do well. So he spent lots of time after school getting things done, and then helping his sister out in subjects she was weak in, so he just didn't have time for running Bill's errands.

The demon still kept an eye on him, always showing up if he was needed, but otherwise he was doing his usual traveling, answering summons and making deals, gathering knowledge, turning dreams into nightmares, and whatever else immortal demons liked to do.

To Dipper's embarrassment, Bill still sometimes caught him in the middle of some  _personal_ time, to the point that he was starting to think he was doing it on purpose. Bill would tease him about it and give him some details about what exactly he would do him if he had a human body, and one night, Dipper had had enough. He needed to stop being so bashful. He was going to get completely comfortable with Bill, the sooner the better, and bravely asked the demon to just stay and watch. Not touch him, but watch and speak to him. And while it was awkward for Dipper at first, Bill had done the job with pride. And having the demon so close, speaking to him seductively as he touched himself, really helped him get over his shyness. And once he was done, he found that the experience had been fun. He wasn't embarrassed anymore after that. A few more nights of that, and Bill was even offering to physically help him, leading to their first truly sexual encounter. While it was very strange, it was also fun, and helped them gain confidence in interacting with each other that way. Bill had derived no physical pleasure from it (for obvious reasons) but said the mental thrill was fantastic, and he enjoyed seeing Dipper enjoy it. Still, he let him know that the 'real deal' would be so much better.

Finally, May arrived. The twins took and then aced their final exams, and then they were graduating. Their school wasn't that big, so it was a relatively small ceremony. The seniors still had a great time, though. And graduation was when everyone who had won a scholarship or grant of some sort was presented with it, and to Mabel's delight, she had gotten one for the college she would be going to next fall. She has already applied to the school as well, and was confident she would be accepted.

Dipper, meanwhile, had been tempted by many different universities that had visited over the course of the year, but in the end stuck with his original plan. He was going to go back to Gravity Falls and take over the Mystery Shack. Maybe become an author. That was what he wanted, and his family supported him.

When at last the ceremony was over, the seniors wasted no time in throwing off the annoying robes and returning to their homes, or going out to party. While Mabel was dragged away to one such party by her friends, Dipper immediately went home to begin packing.

“You're leaving so soon?” his mom asked him, watching as he folded clothes and stuffed them into the boxes he has been collecting for the move.

“Yep, I want to get out there as soon as possible,” he replied.

“Don't you at least want to stay until your sister leaves? That way you can help her move?”

“I can come back when she's ready to move. For now, I want to get my affairs in order. Switch driver's licenses, insurance, all that fun adult stuff.” He closed the box and wrote 'shirts' on it with a Sharpie, before filling up the next with shorts and pants.

“Well, okay... but don't feel like you have to leave so quickly. This is your home, you're welcome to stay as long as you need to.”

Dipper looked up at her, seeing how sad she looked, and stood, going over to give her a hug. “Mom, I know you're going to miss me. And Mabel. But hey, we'll come back and visit. It's not like we're leaving forever.”

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. As he rested his chin on her shoulder, he reflected on those days when he was young and shorter than her, and he would run to her if he needed protection from anything. Now it felt like he needed to protect her.

“You've been with us for so long... It's gonna be so strange not having you two around, telling jokes and arguing about silly stuff and telling us stories... You both brightened this house up so much, and when you leave... it'll all be so dull.”

He sighed, slowly stepping back from her. “It'll be okay. Now you and Dad can do whatever you want. You won't have to spend money on us anymore, you can go off and live the lives you wanted to have. Get that new TV you want, sell the four-door car and get yourselves a Corvette, anything. There are so many possibilities.”

She laughed, ruffling his hair. “Yeah, we'll totally put in a swimming pool once you two are gone.”

“Hey, now don't get too carried away,” he teased. “Start small, like with a hot tub.”

“That'll work too. Hey, you can leave whenever you want... just don't go without telling us goodbye.”

“Of course not.” Dipper returned to packing, and his mother knelt down next to him to help, and he decided that maybe he could stay for a few more days.

 

Once Dipper had all his stuff packed with no more excuses, he decided it was time to move. He thanked his parents for all their support over the years, wished Mabel luck with college (she had been accepted into her school of choice), and headed up to Gravity Falls. Everything he wanted to bring with him fit in his car, which was convenient. He couldn't really see out the back window, but that was fine. That's what the side mirrors were for.

Bill kept him company during the trip, sitting comfortably on the console between the front seats and just chatting away. The passenger seat was piled with stuff so he couldn't sit there, but he had simply shrunk to about half his usual size and fit fine in his makeshift seat. He told Dipper of his plans, the people they would be able to track down now that they had all the time they could ever want, the powerful magic they could dabble in, and of course, of the creatures living in and around Gravity Falls that they could track down and capture.

Dipper arrived at the Mystery Shack shortly after noon and was met by Grunkle Stan, who helped him carry in one box before deciding he was too old for this physical labor and leaving Dipper to get the rest. Luckily, Soos was there and helped him.

“How have things been going?” Dipper asked him as they carefully took one of the bigger boxes upstairs.

“Pretty good, dude,” Soos replied. “Our dog had some puppies, and uh... well, I can't really think what else... There was a field trip here and these kids somehow managed to knock over our totem pole outside, can you believe it? But I got it fixed up. Let me think, what else...”

“Why don't you tell him the good news about your wife?” Stan called from the living room.

“Oh, right!” Soos's face brightened. “I was gonna wait to tell you and Mabel together, but I forgot she wasn't gonna be with you. Okay, so get this! Melody is pregnant!”

“Whoa, really?” Dipper grinned. “Congrats, man.”

“Yeah, we just found out recently. The baby's due some time in November. Isn't that great?”

“Really great. Can't wait to see it.” Dipper and Soos lowered the box to the floor of Dipper's room, and headed downstairs.

“Yeah, just...” Soos hesitated, fiddling with his fingers. Then he said, “Do you think I'm ready to be a dad?”

“You're 28, I'd say you're certainly mature enough.”

“Not like that, just... I want to be better than my dad was to me.”

Dipper turned to the other, grasping his shoulders. “Soos, you're already going to be better than your father. You're going to be there for your kid. They're going to grow up with their mother and father. You have nothing to worry about. That kid is gonna love you.”

Soos smiled, gently mussing up Dipper's hair. “Thanks, Dippingsauce.”

“No problem.” Dipper let go of him. “Now let's get the rest of my stuff, and you can give me more details about that.”

“Sure!” Soos followed him outside, discussing potential names with him, and Dipper couldn't be happier for him. Oh, wait until Mabel hears about this.


	23. This Is An Extreme Thirst

It only took a few days for Dipper to get completely settled in at the Mystery Shack. He decorated the attic up exactly the way he liked it, filling shelves with his books and artifacts from his adventures, changing out the old bedspread to the one he brought with him, putting his clothes in the closet and dresser. It soon felt more like home than his old house did, and he was pleased with it. He considered taking over Mabel's room as a study, but decided to hold off on that for now.

He took over most of the work for the Mystery Shack, doing both tours and the finances, giving Stan more downtime. Which the old man was quite pleased with, because he would much rather watch TV than deal with tourists.

True to his word, Dipper hired Melody as a full time employee, and having her around was an absolute delight. She was charming and sweet, her smile brightening up the room, and could make sales to even the most dissatisfied customers. And Soos seemed much happier at work as well having her around, though Dipper had to gently remind him to leave her alone when the shop was busy.

Also Dipper may have slightly adjusted the hours. Just slightly. As in, the Shack was never going to be open on the weekend except for special occasions, and it closed up early on Friday. But it stayed open an hour later during the other days of the week to make up for it.

“What can I say, I'm gonna have busy weekends,” Dipper explained.

“Kid, I don't care what you get up to, as long as we're still making a profit. But you be careful if you're gonna be running around at night. That murderer from last summer? He's still out there somewhere.”

“I'll be careful,” Dipper promised. “I've been practicing magic a lot since I was here.” He then covered both arms in bright yellow fire, which startled Stan into backpedaling and almost tripping.

“Whoa! Is that real?” Stan cautiously reached a hand out to it, and when he felt the heat, jerked his hand back. “That is real!”

“No one will mess with me,” Dipper assured him, flicking his arms and making the flames vanish.

“Be careful with that magic stuff too. It can really hurt you.”

“Yeah, I know. But I've gotten pretty good at it by now.” Dipper demonstrated by lifting the armchair. With his thoughts.

Stan scratched his head as he watched the chair hover, spinning slowly around. “Uh... wow, okay. You are good. Can you put that down now? I want to sit down.”

“Sure.” Dipper set it down gently, and Stan sank onto it. “Don't worry about me, Grunkle Stan. I doubt that guy is still around here. And if he is... I'll take care of him.” He slid his knife out of his pocket, and Stan nodded in approval.

“I'm sure you will. All right, you run along now. My show's coming on.”

Dipper nodded and was soon out the door. It was his first Friday back in Gravity Falls and possibilities were endless. He ran out into the yard, stopping and just enjoying the cool breeze, inhaling the scent of pines, listening to owls and crickets. What should he do? Teleport somewhere and make a kill? Go deep into the woods and practice blood magic? Find a two-headed deer? Or maybe...

His phone rang, and he took it out of his pocket. Seeing a familiar photo, he answered it immediately. “Hello?”

“Hi, Dipper!”

“Oh hey, Pacifica! What's going on?”

“Nothing much, how are you?”

“I'm great! Wow, it's good to hear from you. What are you up to?”

“Oh, you know.” She sounded quite happy. “I've been taking care of the Northwest affairs, keeping track of our investments, managing our companies... I started up a soup kitchen in town and have been lobbying for new laws that will help the poor...”

“That's great. Has it been fun?”

“Not really, but I'm doing good work, and I'm happy with that. In my spare time I've taken up horseback riding and I participate in shows to make some extra money for myself. The rest I give to charity. So I hear you're back and working in the Mystery Shack, huh?”

“Yep, I'm pretty much in charge of it now. New owner.”

“Cool. I bet that's interesting.”

“Eh, it's kinda the same thing every day. But I like showing people around the woods. It's all really fake, but it's safer that way. I go out and look at the real stuff by myself.”

“Yeah, I get you. How's Mabel doing?”

“She's doing well. She got into the school she wanted, so she'll be going there in the fall.”

“Yeah, I read about that on her blog. You know, I buy her jewelry online sometimes. Is she going to keep doing that?”

“I think she is. It'll help her pay for school supplies.”

“Ah.” Pacifica sounded a bit nervous now. “Is she going to visit before she leaves for college?”

“I don't know. She might.”

“I hope she does. I've... really wanted to see her.”

Dipper smiled. “You like Mabel,” he sang teasingly.

He could practically hear her blushing. “Well she's my best friend, of course I like her,” she said, much too quickly.

“But you _like_ like her,” Dipper insisted.

“I uh... oh, I think I hear my mom calling for me. I'll talk to you later.”

“Okay but just know that she's still single, if you're interested.”

“ _Bye_ , Dipper!” Pacifica hung up. Laughing, Dipper pocketed his phone.

“Wow, that was uncomfortable,” Bill said. Dipper didn't even jump, used to the demon appearing next to him without warning.

“She is crushing so hard,” Dipper said.

“Kinda like a certain other human I know,” Bill said slyly, taking Dipper's hand.

“Hey, I've moved on past the crush phase,” Dipper said, tightening his grip. “You've reciprocated feelings for me. So it's not a crush anymore. It's moving onto...”

“Love territory?” Bill asked.

Dipper blushed. He still wasn't used to thinking of them in that way. “Uh... maybe. Love territory.”

“You get flustered so easily. It's adorable. Well kid, you wanna go kill someone?”

“Oh boy, do I!” Dipper was way too hyped about that, and he noticed it. He self-consciously rubbed his neck, coughing. “I mean... yeah, if I must.”

Bill laughed. “Oh, you so have that bloodlust! I'm proud of you, you've become such a demon! Don't fight it, embrace it!”

“I really don't think I should be enjoying it, but... I tell myself that these people are bad, and that makes it easier.”

“Good. They are bad. To me. So they're bad to you. Now let's go, I hope you're ready to make a really big leap!”

“Where am I teleporting to today?” Dipper limbered up his arms in preparation, taking deep breaths as he drew on his magic, which responded to him so much more easily than it used to. It respected him now.

“I hope you've been brushing up on your Japanese!”

“How do any Japanese people even know how to summon-”

But Bill was grabbing his wrist and mentally giving him directions, and he sighed and listened to them, teleporting away with the demon.

 

It seemed to only take a month before Dipper was skilled enough to teleport anywhere in the world. It took more energy out of him if it was further away, but he was still able to go anywhere. And he loved it. They made vacations out of it any time he went somewhere new. He would just wander around the major cities of these countries, taking in the sights, trying foreign foods and visiting famous landmarks. Bill would tag along in his mind, telling him about everything, like his own personal tour guide. Dipper particularly enjoyed visiting the Vatican, if only for the positively blasphemous jokes Bill made the whole time.

But the best trip by far was when they went to Egypt.

 _We're going after a man by the name of Akil,_ Bill said as Dipper walked through crowded streets, squinting against harsh sunlight and trying not to cower under the heat of the Sun. He was carrying a bottle of water with him, afraid he would pass out in this heat if he didn't stay hydrated. _He doesn't speak a lick of English, so let me handle it._

 _So am I killing him?_ Dipper asked curiously.

_He does owe me his soul, so yes, probably. It's actually quite interesting with him. See, he made a deal with me years ago. He wasn't much older than you were when we first met, actually. But he found my name in some old book, and figured he'd give summoning me a shot. His method of doing so was childish and crude, but it got my attention, so I came to talk to him. He was a sad little boy, whose parents had died of some disease when he was too young to remember them, so he ended up in an orphanage. No one adopted him, and he was afraid that at his age, no one ever would. He didn't really have friends, he didn't have a future. He struggled with school. All he asked me for were a few years of happiness. He just wanted to live a good life for a while, until he was grown up, then... then I could do as I wanted with him._

_Wow, really? That's... odd._

_It was odd, but I wasn't going to refuse such an interesting deal. Pull some strings so he had a good life? Easy! And I'd get a young soul once those years passed. I had nothing to lose, so I accepted it. Well, now we're here to collect that soul. He's twenty-two, he's had quite enough time. A bit more than he expected, for sure._

Dipper paused to lean against a light post and take a drink. It was really exciting being in Cairo, but this weather was excruciating. Being here in the middle of summer didn't help.

Bill assured him that he didn't have to walk much further. Past this tourist-y area were some apartments, and Akil lived in one of them. Another five minutes of walking, at most. So Dipper continued, wiping sweat off his brow. He politely declined as someone stepped out of a shop to offer him some kind of food, then changed his mind and turned back for a sample. Not only was he thirsty, but he was hungry. He thanked the woman and kept going, aware of Bill's impatience.

 _I'm hungry,_ he said simply.

_You can eat later. Turn onto this road._

With Bill's guidance, Dipper made his way into a more residential area. There weren't as many shops here, so there were few tourists. The people he saw around here were citizens of Cairo, who gave him curious looks as he passed. He walked confidently, as if he belonged here. He has been jumped in other countries, he knew to be wary. Luckily, no one messed with him.

Bill pointed out a particular apartment building, and he headed inside. It wasn't that fancy, but it wasn't bad, either. There was a sort of lobby on the first floor, where a few people watched TV, and others simply lounged on chairs reading and chatting. There was a desk where a lady sat, and she cast him a curious look. A few of the other people did as well, and he made sure his knife handle was covered.

_Bill, how am I supposed to escape this one? There's cameras and people everywhere._

_Don't worry, in a few minutes they'll forget ever having seen you._

Dipper could feel Bill's magic pulse through the area, and everyone's eyes glazed over, staring at nothing. The human hurried into an elevator and took it up.

_They'll all find that they dozed off for a few moments. Also the cameras are going to have a few staticky spots. Nothing too concerning. Normal distortion._

_You're awesome._

_I know._

Dipper exited on the third floor and went down the hall, looking at the numbers on the doors.

 _312,_ Bill said helpfully. _He lives there alone since his fiancé left him. What can I say, he only asked for a few years of happiness. Let's put him out of his misery._

Dipper reached the door and swung it open, going inside. The moment the door closed, Bill physically manifested, summoning his cane to play with. They were in a living room, but before they could really get a look around, a man ran in from a different room. He was quite a bit taller than Dipper, with dark skin and black hair pulled back into a short ponytail. And since he was wearing a tank top, it was easy to see how lean he was. Dipper immediately began sizing him up for weak points; there was always an extra challenge to fighting people taller than him.

The man hesitated at the sight of Bill, then addressed him. “Uto?” he questioned.

Bill responded in Arabic, and the two had a long conversation. It was strangely polite, and Dipper allowed himself to relax when it became apparent that this man (who must be Akil) wasn't going to try and fight them. He invited them further into the apartment and picked up a framed photograph to show them. It depicted Akil and a pretty woman with long, braided hair. Then he set it back down with a sigh and leaned against the wall, rubbing his eyes.

Bill turned to Dipper and spoke in English. “She left him only a few weeks ago. Never really told him why. He's sad but kinda expected it, considering the wording of our deal. He said I can take him whenever I want, he doesn't see a point to life anymore.”

“Hmm...” Dipper nodded, examining Akil. He was pretty good-looking, he could probably easily find another girlfriend. But perhaps he simply didn't want anyone else. Dipper found himself admiring the other's appearance. His black hair was sleek, dark brown eyes sharp and intelligent, nose hooked. And of course, the fact that he had muscle. “Uh... Bill, I think I have a better idea than killing him.”

“Shoot,” Bill said.

Dipper turned to smirk at him. “You wanted a human body, right?”

Bill looked at him curiously, then at Akil, and laughed. “Ooh, Pine Tree, you sly dog. You like him?”

“Yeah. He's pretty hot.”

“Heh, want me to get him for you?”

Dipper smirked as he slid the blade from his pocket. “Sure.”

Akil looked alarmed at the sight of the knife, but then Bill spoke to him again. He responded questioningly, and Bill gestured to Dipper. Akil hesitated, then nodded and gave a short reply. He cast a look at the photo, then held out his hand.

Bill took it, and tugged backward. As he did, Dipper felt the presence of a soul outside its body, and shivered instinctively. At the same time, Bill disappeared from view, seeming to phase into Akil's body. Dipper stepped up to where he sensed the soul, swiping his knife through it and absorbing it. Some he used to redo the fading enchantments on the knife, and the rest he took for himself.

When he turned around, he saw Bill, now in control of the body, holding out his arms and looking them over. “Hmm,” he hummed, turning a few different ways as he checked out the rest of his body. “Not bad.” His voice was low, smooth, nothing like his usual voice. But with his inflection and the way he drew out syllables, it still sounded kinda like him anyway. His irises had shifted into a rich gold color that perfectly complimented his dark skin.

Dipper's heart raced, and he just barely remembered to put his knife away before walking over to the other, putting his hands on his chest and standing up on the tips of his toes to stare into his face. It may have been a stranger's face, but he knew Bill was behind those eyes, and that was all he needed.

“Hey, Pine Tree,” Bill said, smiling and putting his arms around the other. “Wow, I can finally give you a real hug! Heh, you're warm... Oh, this is nice. This is really nice. I should have gotten a body sooner.”

“You wanna know something even nicer?” Dipper asked, beginning to slide a hand up the back of Bill's neck. He could hardly believe this. He was actually touching him. Not just brushing against the electrical field of his demonic form, but... physically touching him, causing Bill to sense him with actual human nerves, which would provide so much more sensation than he was receiving before. This was amazing!

“And what's that?” Bill chuckled, aware of Dipper's hand on his neck and enjoying it. Touch really was a fantastic sense.

Dipper pulled Bill's head down and kissed him on the mouth. Bill's eyes widened, but then he lowered his eyelids and chuckled again. Pulling Dipper closer, he kissed back, closing his eyes now. Little tingles raced through his new body, and he could sense his heart rate increase, breathing quickening. There was also a nice warmth in his chest, and he tilted his head, more comfortably fitting his lips against the other's. He heard Dipper laugh a bit, leaning back to breathe before pressing their mouths together again.

After a few moments, Dipper pulled back completely, licking his lips and making an odd expression. Then he said, “I think your host is a smoker.”

“Not anymore.” Bill lifted a hand, coughing into it and then sniffing it. He grimaced. “Yep, he smoked something all right. No wonder it feels hard to breathe.”

Dipper stepped back, resting his hands on Bill's arms and just admiring him. “You look so good...”

“Are appearances all that matter to you?”

“Of course not!” Dipper looked offended. “I fell for you when you were just a triangle with an annoying voice, right?”

“I'm just messing- annoying?!” Bill slapped Dipper's shoulder, but not as hard as he could have.

Dipper laughed and kissed him again, more confidently this time. “But you looking like this makes it so much easier to imagine the things I want to do to you. And what I want you to do to me.”

“Ooh.” Intrigued, Bill cradled his face. “Like what? Enlighten me.”

“Like...” Dipper's cheeks grew red, but he was past the point of being shy around Bill. There was a reason he had forced himself to get over that. He continued casually, “Like how much I want you to hold me down on my back and fuck me until I pass out.”

Bill's face darkened. And it was more than just his cheeks. He grabbed Dipper's chin and roughly kissed him, sliding his free arm under the human's bottom and lifting him up to make him straddle him.

Dipper moaned into the demon's mouth as he was slammed into a wall, back arching as he was grinded against. He hardly noticed the pain of the impact; all he was focused on was Bill, the heat of his new body, the feel of his teeth scraping against his lips, his tongue and breath... Ohh gods...

“I would throw you down on that bed in the other room and fuck you until you're screaming my name,” Bill murmured into Dipper's ear, enjoying his responding groan. “But it'll be so much more fun to leave you wanting.” He grinned as he felt something hard in Dipper's jeans.

“You're an asshole,” Dipper growled.

“I'm not an asshole, Pine Tree,” Bill corrected. “I'm THE asshole.”

“Come on, just... At least touch me some more.” Dipper kissed Bill's neck, heat stirring in him as the demon allowed a small moan.

“Later. I promise.” Bill set him down.

Dipper stumbled and grimaced, rubbing his thigh against himself and casting Bill a dirty look. “You promise?” he asked hopefully. And maybe a little distrustfully.

“Would I lie to you?”

Dipper shook his head. No, Bill didn't lie to him. “Well, okay. Don't forget.”

“I don't forget things.” Bill pressed a chaste kiss to Dipper's cheek, then began exploring the apartment. With an annoyed sigh, Dipper followed him. He better keep that promise...


	24. Someone's Looking Desperate

“What now?” Dipper asked as he followed Bill through Akil's apartment.

“I'm going to collect everything of value in here for energy. Then Akil is gonna turn in his keys and leave his apartment for good. He's moving to Israel in search of enlightenment. At least, that's what everyone will believe.” Bill picked up a necklace, examined it, and made it dissolve into mist that he absorbed through his hand.

“Doesn't he have friends that will worry about him? Or coworkers?” Dipper asked as he went to sink onto a couch, relaxing and enjoying the air conditioning.

“Nope. He met his fiancé through school but didn't really have any friends otherwise...” Bill's hand brushed over a lamp, and he paused. “Ooh, there's sentimental value attached to this. Delicious.” He absorbed that as well. “As for people at work, they never really talked to him. He arrived, did his job, and went home. They found him kinda boring. No one could ever really get into a good conversation with him.”

“Poor guy. I know how that feels.”

Bill smiled as he lifted a picture from the wall. “And then you found Gravity Falls.”

“Yeah. I'm glad I did.”

Bill walked over to him and leaned down to nuzzle him. Dipper started to pull him down onto him, but the demon playfully refused. “Later.”

Dipper huffed. “How much longer is later?”

“Until we get home. Just hold out, okay?”

“Fine.” Dipper watched him walk into a different room, and casually adjusted himself slightly through his jeans. Gods, that was uncomfortable.

After a few minutes, Bill returned, now twirling keys around his finger and with a cell phone in his other hand. “Got his keys, wallet, phone... Good to go. Hey, I wonder if I should sell his car. I am so gonna sell his car. And when we get back to the states I'm buying a margarita. Or two. Maybe even three.”

“You should buy a Margaritaville,” Dipper joked.

“Maybe I will!” Bill led the way out, a clear skip in his step. “It's so much fun having a body! Especially a tall one! Whoo, let's take the stairs!” He ran toward them, Dipper chasing close behind. They almost tripped going down them, but made it with no mishap.

Once downstairs and in the lobby, Bill approached the front desk and began speaking with the lady there. She took out some papers and he filled them out, then he slid the key to her. She took it and handed him a sheet of paper to keep, then filed the rest.

Bill pocketed it and returned to Dipper. “Let's find his car and see what we can get for it.”

It ended up being a pretty old one. Old but functional, probably made in the early nineties. They examined it, turned it on, even took it for a test drive. The air conditioning barely worked, but the radio was great. And the engine sounded good. And about thirty minutes later they had it sold to a shady car dealer who gave them an amount of Egyptian pounds that was equal to roughly a thousand American dollars. And that was after Bill made his best attempt at haggling.

“He's immune to sweet talking,” Bill commented as they walked away with the cash. “I'm impressed.”

“Can we get food with that money?”

“Heh. Sure.” Bill slung an arm around his shoulders. “Anything for you, kid.”

Dipper leaned into his hold, pleased. It was amazing being able to travel in public with him like this. And he felt so warm.

As they walked, Bill took out Akil's cell phone. “I'm gonna go ahead and call his boss to tell him I quit. Then we're gonna sell the phone. Then we'll get the money converted into dollars and go home.”

Dipper nodded with agreement, listening as Bill selected a contact and called it. He had a brief conversation, ended with something that sounded like an insult, and hung up.

“That was fun,” he said. “Okay, what do you want to eat?”

“I don't know much about food around here... What do you think?”

Bill looked around, then began leading the way. “Here, this will do nicely.”

They ended up going into a small, family-owned restaurant that smelled like beans, with a hint of onion, where they told the plump, beaming waitress they would have water to drink and get back to her on what they wanted to eat.

While she went to get it, Bill pointed out a few things in Dipper's menu. “I get that you can't read any of this, so I'll just tell you what's good.” He began explaining the various dishes.

In the end, Dipper simply went with the koshary, which was apparently popular with tourists. Bill said that stuff was overrated, but decent.

When the waitress came back, they placed their orders. Bill did all of the talking; while the lady could speak English, it was obvious she was more comfortable with Arabic. Which Bill could speak perfectly. She left again, and Bill smiled at Dipper.

“Isn't it nice to just relax and have lunch together?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Dipper picked at the complimentary bread they had been given. “Kinda hard to get used to your new body... Its voice is very different from yours. When you speak in Arabic it's like I don't even know who you are.”

“You'll get used to it.” Bill picked up a piece of bread and bit into it. “And trust me... You'll have plenty of time for that.”

Dipper blushed a little. “So, do you really want to sleep with me later?”

“Of course! Sex is fun. I want to do that with you. I think it would be a great bonding experience for us.” Bill reached over to stroke his cheek. “I do have experience, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“With who?” Dipper wondered.

Bill chuckled. “Does it matter? I've been around for a very long time. Obviously you aren't the first person I've felt an attraction to. And you won't be the last.”

Dipper frowned, leaning back. “So I'm not that special to you.”

“I didn't say that. You mean so much to me. You stand out from the rest. Every person I've been with has been unique and special in their own way. I once knew a girl whose singing brought even me to tears. A boy whose artwork told entire stories in one picture. Musicians, writers, explorers, scientists... All so fascinating, so intelligent. And you are perhaps one of the most clever. I love you, but I am capable of loving more than one person at once. Understand that.”

Dipper nodded a little. “Yeah. I understand.”

“That's the price of immortality. You have to accept that those you love won't stay with you. You can only remember them and move on.”

“It must be hard.”

“Very.” Bill idly swirled a finger around in his water. “It's been a long time since my last romantic interest, though. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be so wrapped up in someone, so obsessed with them... But you. You burned through me like a fire. I had to have you. One way or another.”

“Hmm.” Dipper set down his bread, just watching the other. “I didn't realize you felt so strongly for me.”

Bill smirked. “Humans don't realize a lot of things. It's not your fault.”

“Rude.” Dipper flicked some crumbs at him. But he was smiling. Bill's feelings for him were genuinely strong. He was so relieved to know that. It made him more confident in his own feelings. It was fine for him to love Bill... because the demon loved him just as much. Knowing that, he couldn't help but grin.

They talked until their food arrived. Bill thanked the waitress and Dipper curiously poked through the various things on his plate. Then he spooned up some pasta and took a bite. It had an odd flavor, but it wasn't bad. He ate some more, looking over at Bill's plate as he did. “What is that?” he asked.

“What, this?” Bill prodded the chunk of meat that had been stuffed with vegetables. “This is a wonderful roasted pigeon.”

“A pigeon?!”

“Yep. It's like a chicken, just a bit tougher. Maybe a little gamey. But certainly has a good flavor.” Bill tore off a piece and stuck it in his mouth. “Mm, I've missed the sense of taste. Remind me to get a margarita later.”

Dipper shook his head, amused, and dug into his own food. It ended up being pretty good, and he even took a piece of the pigeon out of curiosity. It tasted like other birds such as chicken or turkey, but a little different from them as well. Not bad.

When they were done, Bill paid and they headed out. They didn't go home right away. First, Bill took Dipper to see the great pyramids of Giza. As Dipper ate ice cream and looked at the structures with fascination, Bill explained the rich history of this area, and how he had inspired the pyramids' design. He pointed out the sphinx with a comment of how arrogant those guys were. Their riddles weren't even that hard.

After sight seeing, they returned to Gravity Falls. This teleportation was easier, since they could visualize their exact destination, but Dipper was still kinda tired afterward. And as he was walking into the Shack he realized it was about four in the morning here; Egypt was several hours ahead. His uncle tended to fall asleep in the chair in the living room if Dipper wasn't around to remind him to go to his room. He wasn't there this time, though, and the two snuck up to Dipper's room with no mishap.

“Finally,” Dipper yawned, stretching and feeling his back pop. Then strong arms snaked around his middle, and he started as he was tugged against someone. He relaxed as he remembered it was just Bill. The demon nuzzled against his neck, pressing tender kisses to it, and he felt his knees go weak. One of Bill's hands slid down his side, slipping under his shirt, pressing to his skin. He leaned into it, thinking that it felt strangely warm.

“You want me to finish what I started earlier?” Bill murmured into his ear, sending a bolt of heat to Dipper's groin.

“Uh, I would, but... what about Stan?” Dipper asked, trying hard not to think about that hand feeling along his hip. “He's right down the hall, he'll hear...”

“Oh, no he won't.” A few of Bill's fingers strayed under Dipper's waistband. “He's deep asleep right now. I'll make sure he stays that way.”

“Right... dream demon,” Dipper breathed, legs shaking.

“We should move to the bed,” Bill suggested.

“Yeah. We should.” Dipper started to move on his own, but then the demon lifted him and carried him over to it. He tossed him lightly onto it and then jumped on top of him, meeting his lips in a rough, possessive kiss. The sudden ferocity of it surprised Dipper, but he enjoyed it, and he moaned in response. Bill's teeth nipped at him, tugging on his lips, and he soon tasted blood. When he pulled away to catch his breath, he felt Bill bite into his throat.

“A-ah, fuck!” he swore, back arching.

“Did that hurt?” Bill asked, glancing up at him.

Dipper breathed deeply, eyes squeezed shut. No. No it did not. He wound his fingers into Bill's hair, tugging the elastic band out of it so the ponytail came loose. Once he had enough for a good handful, he gripped it. “Do it again,” he said.

Bill shifted over before sinking his teeth into the other side of Dipper's neck, causing him to moan with pleasure.

“Oh, so you are a masochist,” Bill purred, licking one of the new wounds. “That makes things easy.” He pressed his lips to Dipper's again, bracing an elbow on the bed while his other hand moved down, sliding under the human's body to scrape his fingernails down his back.

“Nnn, God...” Dipper whined, feeling arousal twist in his gut. He hooked a leg over Bill's hips, grinding up against him. Bill's breath caught in his throat; he had almost forgotten how great that felt. He shifted so he could rub back down on him, allowing himself to moan as well, sensing how it excited his partner. Then he leaned back.

“I need to get my clothes off,” he said.

“Make it quick,” Dipper growled, the frustration evident on his face.

Bill moved away and pulled his shoes off, then the rest of his clothes. Thank goodness Akil had dressed light: a tank top and shorts, and a pair of underwear that Bill still didn't see the point of. Then he waited for Dipper to finish tugging his own clothes off.

“We've become really comfortable with each other,” Bill commented.

“I'll be honest, it does feel like there's a stranger in my bed,” Dipper said, looking him over. He lifted his eyebrows. “A very attractive stranger, though.”

“A very attractive stranger hosting your favorite demon,” Bill added. As soon as Dipper had discarded the last of his clothes, he climbed over him and leaned down to nip at his throat. “Are you nervous?”

“A little, but who isn't during the first time?”

“It's not like I haven't touched you before.” Bill suckled on one of the bite marks, hearing a sharp intake of breath from the other. “I'm pretty familiar with your body.”

“Yeah, just... now you actually have a human body. It's different.” Dipper rested his arms around the other, sighing at the heat of him, enjoying how his bare body felt against his. “I have to keep reminding myself of who you are.”

“Maybe I'll make it so this body's voice sounds like mine. Until then... just remind yourself of who I am.” Bill reached down to grasp Dipper's arousal, giving it a stroke. “Now, are you ready to get started?”

Dipper bit his lip to hold in a moan, instead giving Bill the most defiant look he could. “More than ready, Dorito.”

“I can't wait to see how much of a screamer you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a fair warning, the next chapter will be smut beginning pretty much immediately. And will take up pretty much the whole chapter. You can skip to 26 and won't really miss out on any plot. But you will be missing out on other fun stuff. ;D


	25. He Wants the D(emon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another reminder that this is an unnecessarily smutty chapter. If that's cool by you, then proceed. If not, Chapter 26 should resume things as normal. Hope you enjoy. B)

Bill's hands traveled along Dipper's body, gentle and curious, and the human relaxed under him, enjoying it. Then Bill's fingernails dug into his thighs, hands squeezing his legs so that he separated them. He moaned softly as Bill's groin rubbed into his, and his mouth was soon covered by the other's. As they clumsily made out, Bill pressed his hips down harder, and Dipper gasped with need.

“Easy,” Bill murmured as the other's body shuddered. He took hold of Dipper's cock, pulling it against his own and giving a firm stroke. When Dipper groaned in approval, he worked his hand over their lengths, pumping them together.

“G-God, Bill...” Dipper's voice flitted up in pitch, and he closed his eyes, trying to focus. But it was so difficult when the other was so close, touching him like _that_ , and it just felt so good...

Bill chuckled and gave a low moan himself; this felt great. He hadn't realized he missed this feeling so much. And this wasn't even the best of it. His nimble fingers soon got both of them erected, and he let go, lying on top of the other and kissing him. Dipper growled, hips grinding up against Bill's stomach, desperately seeking more friction.

“Don't be such a tease,” Dipper said, glaring at him.

“Well, pardon me for taking things slow. Do you want it hard and fast, then? Ya know, I believe that's what I promised you, actually. So fine. I'll stop 'teasing' you.” Bill's hands were suddenly at his sides, gripping hard enough to bruise, nails drawing blood.

Dipper cried out, back arching, and then Bill bit into his neck again. He bit sharply, cutting the skin open and sucking as it bled, and Dipper felt his head go pleasantly foggy. He panted, tilting his head as the other suckled on his throat, shivering as hot breath wafted across the delicate skin.

Bill shifted, holding himself steady with an arm, returning the other to under Dipper's back. As his nails harshly raked down the human's spine, Dipper moaned in pleasure, clutching him closer. When Bill let go of his neck, only to move his lips under his chin and tug on some skin there, Dipper practically whimpered.

“Oh, that sounds wonderful,” Bill sighed. He rolled his hips as he proceeded to cover Dipper's neck in bruises, and the human responded with such enthusiasm that Bill laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself. He lifted his head, coiling his tongue under Dipper's earlobe as he whispered, “Please, do keep rutting yourself against me... Put on a good show and you'll get what you want even quicker.”

Dipper swallowed, feeling his arousal grow, stirring hot and heavy in his gut. He was so hard, he could feel it as Bill's movements pressed his dick down against him, and he could sense that the demon was just as affected. Oh, he wanted more... He moved his hips more desperately, and raised one of his hands to Bill's hair, grasping it and tugging. A moment later, he realized that was a turn-on for Bill. The demon almost seemed to snarl, body pushing roughly against his, and a small part of his ecstasy-addled mind noted the other's hardness being rubbed needfully into his.

“Kid, I want you bad,” Bill panted, steadily grinding into him now. Dipper's legs wrapped around his waist as he did his best to move with him.

“Then take me,” Dipper whispered.

“I can't just start... I need to prepare you. With...” Bill gestured vaguely, looking frustrated.

Dipper could barely think straight either from the lust clouding his mind, but he figured it out. “With lube?”

Bill sighed and nodded. “Can you...?” There was so much need in his voice, desire burning in his eyes, and Dipper's face flushed at the way he was being stared down. Still, it was incredible, being so wanted.

“Are those human instincts getting you, Bill?” he teased as he held up a hand, drawing on some magic. “I've never seen you like this.”

“We experience emotions relating to the Deadly Sins more strongly than any other,” Bill said, breathing heavily as he waited. “Our lust is overwhelming. As is our jealousy, pride, etcetera. But the lust...” He licked his lips. “It's especially powerful... Mix human hormones and physical pleasure in, and well... you get a very, _very_ horny demon who needs a release so bad it hurts.” Bill's voice lowered about an octave, sending a wave of heat and _want_ through Dipper's body. “So how's about you summon some lube from a store or something so I can get to fucking ya, all right?”

Dipper choked and nodded, flexing his wrist. Thank goodness this kind of magic was second nature... A simple thought, and a bottle was dropping into his waiting hand. He gave it to Bill, and the demon immediately tore the wrapping off and popped it open. He poured it onto his fingers and sat back between Dipper's legs.

“Spread,” he ordered.

Dipper blushed at the dominance of the other, but opened his legs, exhaling quietly as he watched his erection bob up slightly. Bill's fingers briefly slid over his tip, and he bit his lip at the spark of pleasure. Then Bill reached down further, his non-lubed hand cupping Dipper's balls and carefully rolling them in his palm.

“Fuck...” Dipper groaned, leaning back. That felt better than he expected, making warmth spread through his body, tingling in a way that reminded him of being tickled, but not quite. The pressure was almost painful, and he knew this was a sensitive area, but he was sure Bill wouldn't hurt him. A few soft caresses of Bill's thumb, and he was in heaven, vocalizing his approval. Who knew Bill could be so gentle? While he was distracted, a single finger suddenly pressed inside him. The intrusion made him jump, and he stared down at Bill. With a mischievous grin, the other pushed his finger in further. Between the lube and Dipper's relaxed muscles, it seemed to go in with little trouble.

Dipper started to tense instinctively, though. So Bill began working his finger in and out, loosening him and getting him accustomed to it. The human was soon relaxing again, just laying back with his eyes closed and thinking about how intimate this was. When Bill slid a second finger in, a whine bubbled up in Dipper's throat. Then they were moving, stretching him, and he involuntarily whimpered. Bill shuddered in response, aroused beyond reason by that. He thrust his fingers in further, pleased when the other's hips bucked against him.

“Hold on, Pine Tree, let me try something,” he whispered, twisting his wrist slightly to change the angle of his fingers. He hooked them into a different spot, grinning as Dipper's entire body seemed to jolt, a loud moan tearing from his throat.

“A-ah, what... what are you...?” Dipper pushed himself up on an elbow, staring down at the demon between his legs. The blush on his face was starting to spread to his neck and shoulders, and wow... that was adorable.

Bill smiled at him. “That would be your prostate, Pine Tree. How did that feel?”

“It... it felt fucking awesome. Surprised me, but...” Dipper glanced down, then back up. “Do it again.”

Bill withdrew his fingers slightly before pushing them back in, rubbing them into that sweet spot. Dipper called out and closed his eyes, one hand grabbing Bill's wrist to encourage him to do it again.

“Think you can handle one more finger?” Bill asked, still using that low voice that drove Dipper wild. It was getting difficult to remember exactly who this was... the host body sounded so different. But Bill's mannerisms were the same, his accent recognizable, and so far, Dipper was completely comfortable. This wasn't a stranger at all, and he reminded himself of that. He just enjoyed the voice, and the touches, and did his best to associate them with his demon partner. Registering the question, Dipper nodded eagerly, hands clutching the covers in preparation.

Bill's third finger wiggled in, and Dipper had to bite into his knuckles to keep his voice down. This almost hurt, but it felt so good, so raw, and he knew this would make it easier later on. He just had to keep relaxed. That was how it worked, right? Just stay relaxed...

The demon pushed his fingers in, moving them in and out until Dipper's back arched and the human moved his hips against him, wanting more of the feeling, needing to feel as much of the other as possible.

“Okay, relax,” Bill said, pulling his hand away when he felt the other's body tensing.

Dipper panted, reaching down to brush his fingers over his arousal, twitching at the attention. “Well, can you hurry up?”

Bill's mouth had gone dry at the sight of the human touching himself, but he shook his head and focused. “Hurry up? If you insist.” He squirted more lube out and applied it to himself in a generous coat, sighing at the much-needed touches to himself, but this wouldn't be enough. Not now, not with his partner laid out so deliciously in front of him. Wiping the excess off uncaringly against the covers, Bill mounted Dipper, whose legs unhesitatingly moved apart for him.

“Any last pieces of advice?” Dipper asked with a chuckle, sliding his arms around Bill in preparation.

Bill hummed as he shifted, arms on either side of the other and leaning down so the human could press his face to his shoulder. “Hmm...” He kissed Dipper's temple, “Bite me.”

Before Dipper could respond, he slammed into him, rough and all at once. Dipper cried out in pain, and as Bill's shoulder pressed against him, he sank his teeth into the skin.

“Told you,” Bill groaned, shaking at the heat and pressure consuming him, the deep pleasure combining wonderfully with the pain of Dipper's teeth in his skin. He withdrew a bit, hearing a muffled whimper, and thrust back in. There was another delightful bolt of pain as Dipper clenched his jaw, but Bill felt some concern at just how tightly the other's arms were holding him.

“Doing okay?” Bill asked him, pausing for a moment.

Dipper exhaled through his nose and dislodged his teeth, working his jaw and wincing. “I'm ah... fine...” He was breathing hard. “This is... so weird...”

“Does it hurt?”

“K-kinda, but... it's not so bad. 'M getting used to it...” Dipper glanced down at where their bodies were joined, blushed, and looked back up at Bill's face. “I'm fine. Really.”

“Oh, you're so flustered, it's like you're young again,” Bill cooed, nuzzling him.

“I'm still young compared to you,” Dipper scoffed.

“I know, but... you're so cute when you're unsure. Well, don't worry about a thing. I'll take good care of you.”

Dipper might have had a witty retort, but then Bill's hips were rolling into his, and he was moving in and out of him, and oh... _ohh_ , that was a wonderful friction... The human returned his face to the other's shoulder, kissing the spot where he had bitten him, feeling his back begin to arch and push his body up against the other's. His legs tightened around his waist of their own accord, and he used this new leverage to respond to every thrust. It took him a while to figure out Bill's rhythm, but then he got it, and the first truly synced movement of their bodies together was pure ecstasy.

As he grew more comfortable, Dipper began stroking Bill's hair, whispering lovingly into his ear, until the feeling got to be too much and he switched to moaning and pleading instead.

Bill was a bit clumsy at first, but he seemed to learn his new body fairly quickly, and was soon moving comfortably. It wasn't an explosion of sensation, wasn't fireworks lighting up a night sky, but... it was good. It was intimate in a way they've wanted to be for a long time. Not just mentally, but physically. And if they were a little awkward at times, that was fine... it just made it feel natural.

Dipper was giggling by the end, caught up in hormones, and as he felt his body twitch and convulse in very telling ways, he gathered up his strength to tell the other something very important. “Bill... I love you.”

“Oh, I love you too, kid,” Bill groaned back; he was pretty much right at his peak as well, and speaking was difficult to focus on.

Dipper beamed, opening his eyes to look at the other. “You mean it?”

Bill opened his too, meeting Dipper's eyes. Oh, the way the kid looked with his eyes half-lidded and pupils blown with lust... he was memorizing that expression. “Of course I mean it,” he assured him. “You're everything to me. No one else on this planet means what you mean to me.”

“Is that Bill talking, or sappy human emotions?” Dipper chuckled.

“It's me. My emotions being naturally heightened during intimacy has nothing to do with it. Now shut up, close your eyes...” Bill drove into him particularly roughly, hitting that sweet spot directly, “And come for me.”

Dipper couldn't help the keen that escaped him as he finished, vision whiting out for a moment as ecstasy and heat swept through him. Then it faded away as quickly as it came, leaving him a bit jittery but satisfied. He stared up at the ceiling, catching his breath, wincing a bit as Bill continued.

“Are you about done?” he asked, finding it hard to want to move any more with the other. He was really tired.

“Almost... maybe if you just...” Bill pushed his nose into the crook of Dipper's shoulder. “Grab my hair, kid. Do it. Just grab it and twist.”

Dipper didn't hesitate, getting a handful of Bill's hair and yanking it back. The demon howled, nails sinking into Dipper's skin as he finally came. He leaned his head back and bowed his back, and as far as Dipper was concerned, he was the most beautiful thing on the planet.

The moment Bill came down from his high, Dipper was throwing his arms around him and leaning up to snuggle with him.

“Heh, all right, hold on... let me just...” With some effort, Bill pulled out of him. A few seconds later, Dipper had maneuvered him onto his back and sprawled on top of him, perfectly content.

“That was wonderful,” he whispered to the demon, lightly petting his arm.

“Heh, thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.”

“I loved it... you really know how to treat a person.”

“Plenty of experience.” Bill traced his fingers down Dipper's back, following the raised lines that his nails had left.

“This body of yours is... really incredible.” Dipper looked him over, smiling. “It fits you well. Tall, handsome... Strong.”

“You should thank yourself for picking it out,” Bill pointed out. “And boy, what a good choice you made. While he was a smoker, Akil was surprising active. He stayed fit.”

“Yeah, I noticed. You have abs.”

Bill chuckled. “Of course you would notice that. But yes, he was physically fit. So this is a very healthy body... still, it's tired. How do you feel?”

“Oh, I'm exhausted,” Dipper admitted, flopping his head down and closing his eyes.

“Yeah... I kinda got carried away. It's just been so long since I've done this... I wanted to enjoy it.”

“I have no problem with it, really. I loved everything about it. You were in control, confident... moving in all the right ways... it was great.”

Bill yawned, fighting his body as it insisted that it wanted to sleep. “I'm glad you had fun. And now I know your body... and I know mine. Next time will be even better.”

“Next time,” Dipper mused, hardly noticing as Bill shifted the two of them so he could get the covers over them. The moment the other stopped moving, though, he was curled up in his arms. “I look forward to that.”

“Oh, I'm sure.” Bill ran a hand down Dipper's back, smiling with content as he relaxed. “You're so worn out, Pine Tree... go to sleep.”

“I'm trying but you won't shut up.”

Bill reached up higher, grasping the back of Dipper's head. “Go to sleep,” he said more firmly, using his magic this time.

“Fine, jerk,” Dipper huffed, but he laughed afterward, before letting himself drift off, happy and warm in his partner's arms.

Once Bill was sure he was asleep, he laughed as well and got comfortable. “Have a nice rest, Pine Tree. You deserve it.” Then he allowed his vessel to fall asleep, traveling into the Mindscape in the meantime. He certainly had a lot to reflect on.


	26. Accessorizing

Dipper really didn't want to get up in the morning. He absolutely didn't want to get up at all. He's fallen asleep with Bill before, but this was heaven compared to that. Now he was actually laying in his arms, face pressed to his skin, inhaling his scent, and he felt so warm and safe with him.

But the morning light coming through the window a little before seven o'clock fell across his eyelids, and he groaned and flicked them open, blinking. The first thing he was aware of was the pleasant tingle of Bill's skin against his, and he smiled happily and gently kissed the other's neck. Then he looked up at his face, only to see that he was still sleeping. That was odd. Did Bill even need to sleep?

Then Dipper realized that he only had a couple hours of sleep and groaned again, burying his face against the other and closing his eyes. But he could still hear birds chirping, insects beginning to drone. Sighing, he freed an arm from the covers to wave toward the window, and the curtains moved to block out the light. He considered putting a muffling spell up too, but didn't, putting his arm beneath the covers and resting it over Bill.

He reflected on their first time, and a giggle bubbled up in his throat, accompanied by a light tinting of his cheeks. That had been something. Intense, enjoyable, a bit painful... But overall, very fun. He would love to do it again. Sharing that kind of intimacy with the demon seemed to cement how close their relationship was.

Listening to the other's heartbeat, Dipper let himself drift off to sleep again. Yet it seemed that someone was knocking on the door almost immediately. “Hey, Dipper? You sleeping in?”

Dipper glanced at the door to make sure it was closed, yawned, and said, “Yeah, Grunkle Stan. My first Saturday, I want to sleep in. I'll be out... eventually.” His voice slurred as he spoke, he was so tired.

“Well okay. It's nine, just so you know. I'm heading into town for some groceries. Don't burn the Shack down.”

Dipper chuckled. “I won't. Have fun.”

Stan left, and Dipper snuggled against Bill again. He looked at his face, but his eyes were still closed. Curious, Dipper leaned closer, listening to his breathing. It was pretty slow, even for someone who was asleep. And his muscles were more relaxed than usual, almost as if he was unconscious.

“Are you there?” Dipper asked, and got no response. He opened his mind to check for Bill's presence, but couldn't even find that. Ah. Then he wasn't in the body. He must be in the Mindscape. No longer concerned, Dipper let himself fall asleep yet again.

Next time he opened his eyes, he felt considerably more well-rested. The sunlight coming in through the curtains was fairly bright. And now as he shifted, he felt a responding pressure from the arms around him, and sensed Bill's comforting thoughts. Looking up, he saw that his golden eyes were open, gazing down at him. The demon was smiling, and he pressed a kiss to Dipper's lips.

“Good morning, love,” he said.

Dipper's chest felt warm and fuzzy. _Love_. He laughed and kissed him back. “Good morning to you too. Did you have a good sleep?”

“My body did. I was doing other things in the Mindscape for the past several hours. Did you rest well?”

Dipper smiled and snuggled with him. “Perfectly.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” Bill cuddled back, but was soon moving to get up. “Well, let's get going!”

“Wait, where?” Dipper asked, sitting up and watching him tug his clothes on.

“Well geeze, I need clothes, I am not wearing this every day.” Bill tugged on the tank top. “Your clothes probably won't fit me, so I'm buying my own. Luckily I have a bank account. And a card.” With a flourish of the hand, he produced a shiny debit card, which he pocketed. “Don't ask me how I got that. It's a long story.”

“So you want clothes, I get it. Anything else?” Dipper rolled out of bed, gathering up his old clothes and throwing them into a basket. Then he went to the dresser to get clean ones.

“Hmm...” Bill examined himself in a mirror he had produced from nowhere. He tugged at his hair, and felt his jaw. “I'm gonna get some eyeliner, and some hair products... actually, I think I'm gonna get this cut and styled. I don't like this look.” He brushed some hair over his right eye. “Ooh, yeah. I like the look of that. I need to have it cut for that though...”

“Maybe you can dye it blonde,” Dipper joked.

“That might look good! Dye this part, leave the rest black... Yeah.” Bill pushed his hair back and checked out his teeth. “Ugh. Okay, add whitening toothpaste to the list...”

“You can use mine. But we will get you a toothbrush, a hairbrush and comb, stuff like that...”

“What else...” Bill got rid of the mirror and turned to Dipper, clapping his hands together. “I know! I'll get my ears pierced!”

“Wow, really?”

“I love earrings! Some gold pieces... Yeah. Triangles, I'm thinking.”

“Of course.” Dipper walked over to him once dressed and kissed his cheek. “You'll look good no matter what.”

“Yes I will,” Bill said proudly. “Let's go to the mall.”

“Okay, hold on.” Dipper grabbed his wallet and keys, then headed for the bathroom to brush his teeth. Bill waited patiently, checking himself out in the mirror. When Dipper was done, Bill took the brush, rinsed it off, and poured out some toothpaste for himself.

“Gross,” Dipper commented.

“Oh please,” Bill scoffed. “I've already had your germs in my mouth. It's just bacteria.” He began vigorously scrubbing at his teeth.

“Let me guess, Akil has yellow teeth?” Dipper asked.

“Yes, unfortunately. Disgusting. I like the color yellow as much as the next guy, but on teeth? Ew.” Bill spit out the lather and brushed some more, until his gums were bleeding. Deciding that was good enough for now, he rinsed his mouth out and put the brush away.

He kept licking the blood from his teeth as they headed downstairs. Stan was still off running errands, so they didn't have to explain Bill's presence to him, at least. Once in the car, Bill stretched out, propping his feet up on the dashboard as he buckled in. Dipper considered telling him to put his feet down, but decided against it, starting the car.

As he drove, Bill gently stroked his hair, playing with the curls. “You probably should have brushed this,” he mused. “You look so unkempt.”

“That's fairly normal for me.” Dipper self-consciously tried to fix his hair though. Bill began fixing it for him, combing his nails through it and getting it to look decent. Then he pulled down the sun visor to adjust his own hair. Luckily, it was fairly straight if very thick, so he had an easier job of it. Still, he was messing with it all the way to the mall. As Dipper parked, he sat up and flipped the visor shut. They got out and headed in.

“Clothes!” Bill announced, hurrying for the Men's Warehouse.

“Really?” Dipper complained as he followed him in. He watched him examine rows of collared shirts.

“I personally like to look fancy,” Bill said. “Do you like this pastel yellow? I like it.”

“Get whatever you want.”

Bill picked one up, checking the size. While he was doing that, Dipper went to pick up an accessory for him. He brought it over for approval.

“Here, it needs a black bow tie,” he said.

Bill squealed and grabbed it. “Yes, perfect, thank you! Oh man, I need to find a good blazer... for winter. Until then, some of these shirts should be fine.”

“How about something with short sleeves?” Dipper asked.

“Hmm... Yeah, there are nice short-sleeved shirts, aren't there? We'll look for those too. For now, pants! Ah, these will do!”

Dipper just waited patiently as Bill made his selections, tried them on, and finally bought what he wanted. He also got a nice pair of shiny black loafers. After that, they went to find Bill some shirts with short sleeves, most of which were button down. But he tried them on for Dipper, who had to admit, they looked good on him. They got him jean shorts as well, since the weather just wasn't right for pants right now. But they made sure it was high-quality material.

When Bill was satisfied with the amount of clothes, he went to get a haircut. He went with a quite faddish style; hair parted on the left and brushed over his right eye, the hair on the left framing the left side of his face, and everything in the back cut quite short. But like everything else, it looked good on him. He even paid to have his hair dyed blonde in the front, which took a while, since they first had to bleach it so the blonde would be visible.

But finally he was done, and as they walked out of the salon, Bill took Dipper's hand. Dipper couldn't help but grin at how much more natural it felt now. As they were walking to a store that would hopefully sell a suitable eyeliner, Dipper heard a familiar voice call out to him.

“Dipper? Is that you?” He turned to see Pacifica hurrying toward him with two of her friends in tow. She grinned in recognition. “It is you! Wow, what a coincidence!” She stopped and tilted her head curiously as she saw him holding Bill's hand. “Who's that?”

“Ah. Well, um...” Dipper looked at Bill for help.

The demon gave Pacifica a charming smile, letting go of Dipper's hand so he could bow politely. “William,” he said. “William C. Pher. But... you can call me Bill.”

“Bill...” Pacifica's brows furrowed.

“Is there a problem?” Bill asked.

“Oh, sorry, it's just... I knew another Bill a long time ago, and he was... not that nice.”

“Ah. Well I'm not exactly nice either. Haha.”

“No, he was a literal demon.”

“You say that like it's a bad thing.”

Dipper considered whether or not he wanted to tell Pacifica the truth. On the one hand, the last time she met Bill wasn't exactly... pleasant. But on the other hand, she was a good friend of his and he didn't want to lie to her. She was clever, she would figure out the truth eventually, and once she did, she would likely be mad at him for lying to her. So he decided to just tell her the truth now. He leaned close to her. “Hey, uh... Can you keep a secret? This is, um...” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “The same Bill.”

“What?!” Pacifica jumped back, almost knocking her friends over. “This is Bill Cipher?!”

“Yeah. But don't worry, he won't hurt you! We're kinda... business partners.”

Bill snorted. “That's one way to put it.”

“We work together, I can't tell you on what, but... Just trust me, he's not trying to destroy the town or anything.”

Pacifica looked at him unsurely. “After what he's done, I'm not sure I trust him.”

“I don't blame you. But you trust me, right?” Dipper gave her such a kind smile that she relented.

“Okay. If you trust him, I... guess I'll tolerate him. At least he looks normal now.” Pacifica looked Bill over. “Where did you get that body? I know you have to be possessing someone.”

“It belonged to this Egyptian guy but he gave up his soul and I took this meat suit for myself. But I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering. This was agreed to.”

Pacifica nodded. “Okay... Weird, but fine. It's very nice. Very handsome.”

“Thank you.”

She looked at Dipper. “So... are you two like... dating?”

Dipper shrugged, shuffling the bags he was carrying a bit. “Kinda? It's complicated.”

“Soul-bonded is an accurate term,” Bill said. “Demonic relationship stuff. But he basically belongs to me and in return I'm very attached to him, and yeah, there are some sappy emotions of caring and affection in there somewhere...”

“You mean love?” Dipper teased.

Bill snorted and gently pushed his face away. “Sure. Love. We do like each other a lot.”

“Whatever it is, at least you're happy,” Pacifica said. “I can't really judge, I mean... I've had some pretty weird crushes.”

“Your current one is a bit of a weirdo,” Dipper agreed.

She blushed and punched his shoulder. “Shut up!”

“Shooting Star is delightful, I don't blame you,” Bill said.

Pacifica turned to her friends, but not fast enough to hide how red her cheeks were getting. “I need to get going. I'll talk to you guys later. Congrats on the body, Bill, I guess...”

“Thank you, Llama,” Bill replied.

She sighed at the nickname and left with her friends, who looked mildly concerned about the interaction they had just witnessed, and would likely be asking questions later.

Dipper looked at Bill, raising an eyebrow. “Soul-bonded?”

“Yes, you pledged your life and soul to me. I accepted it, and now it's bound to me. For the rest of your life. That's why it was so easy for me to grow attached to you, to fall for you. We already share so much.”

“Oh. Interesting.” Dipper thought about that. “So, if this had never happened... If I never had to make that deal with you, do you think we could still have grown to care about each other like this?”

“Perhaps. I'm sure I would have found another reason to be around you. You've always intrigued me. One way or another, I would have wanted you on my side. And I would have gotten it. I'm a master of persuasion.”

“The brainwashing probably helps.”

“It really does.” Bill laughed and ruffled his hair. “Now let's go find that eyeliner.”

“Oh, right. Here, this store has a lot of make-up, Mabel used to come here all the time.” He led him to it. Bill seemed pleased with the selection, and took some time examining various brands, talking to one of the associates, and testing the quality by scraping small amounts onto his fingers. When he finally chose one and purchased it, he immediately found a mirror to apply it.

Dipper watched, curious to see what sort of design he was doing. When Bill asked him to, he helpfully held his hair out of the way so he could line his right eye. Finally, he finished and stepped back, Dipper letting the hair fall back down.

“Perfect. What do you think?” Bill turned to him, and Dipper was struck by just how intense his eyes looked now. They were outlined with a thick black that easily drew attention to them, and Dipper recognized the patterns he had drawn immediately. Bill had transformed his eyes into Eyes of Horus.

“It looks amazing.” Dipper admired the flawless black lines, almost wanting to touch them, but not wanting to smudge the marks. “It makes you look like... I don't know, an Egyptian god or something.”

“That is the desired effect.” Bill capped the pencil and tossed it into a bag. “Now my face is interesting. This is a face that people will admire and fear.”

“I don't think anyone's gonna fear you. Yeah you have a great fashion sense and on-point make-up, but... you really don't look scary. You just look like a fabulous twenty-something year old.”

“True, but our victims will be looking at me in a much different light.” Bill chuckled darkly, and Dipper had to agree with him. He probably would look intimidating to someone they were about to kill.

“I think that's all we needed from here,” Dipper said after a few moments of aimless wandering.

“Toiletries,” Bill pointed out. “So I won't have to use your toothbrush. Oh, and I'm gonna get my ears pierced, remember?”

“...Right. Okay, let's go do that.” Dipper slid his hand into Bill's again, shoulder brushing the other's as they walked. He felt very normal right now, going shopping in the mall with someone he loved. He kinda liked it.


	27. Out to Lunch

After getting Bill the essential hygiene items he needed, the two left in search of a decent body piercing parlor. There were a few in Gravity Falls, but they were notoriously cheap, which Dipper found questionable. He opted to instead drive Bill a little bit further away so they could go to a place that he knew was sanitary, yet still offered fair prices. Bill didn't really mind the drive, saying that he just enjoyed spending time with Dipper and it wasn't like they had anything else planned for today. He did ask if he could drive, though, which Dipper promptly refused.

“Kid I drove one of the first cars ever made, don't assume I can't-”

“I'm sure you can drive but these days you need a license and you don't have a license, knowing our luck you'll get pulled over, so no. Get your hands off the wheel.”

When they finally reached the store, Bill wasted no time in going up to the counter and negotiating a price. Dipper was concerned about how exactly Bill would be approved for it; didn't you need to give them an ID to prove your age? Bill wouldn't have a license of any sort, he just got a human body yesterday, there was no way-

“ID? Sure.” Bill dug into his pocket and took out what was clearly an Oregon driver's license, handing it over. The woman seemed to find no problem with it, and took it over a copying machine while Bill finished the paperwork.

“Where did you get that?” Dipper hissed into his ear.

“I have my ways.”

“I doubt they would, but what happens if they were to look those numbers up? Would it even link to anyone?”

“It would link to William Pher. I can manipulate minds, kid. And what are computer systems but artificial minds?”

“We... we aren't even near a DMV computer or anything, how...”

“You're really still questioning my abilities? Oh, Pine Tree... I can do a lot of things you don't even realize. Distance is no issue.” Bill ruffled his hair.

When the lady came back, she had Bill pick out the starter earrings he wanted. He browsed through the choices, not really liking any of them, but he chose a pair of large gold orbs, saying that would do for now. She took them out and handed them over to the piercer, who led them to a small room. He was a buff man covered in tattoos, large gauges in his earlobes. He covered the table with plastic and had Bill lay down on it.

“Need me to hold your hand through the pain?” Dipper teased as the other got comfortable.

“I think I'll live,” Bill said dryly.

“An ear piercing is really nothing,” the piercer said as he washed his hands. “Now if you were getting a lip piercing, or a tongue piercing... now that would hurt.”

“Or a nipple piercing,” Bill mused.

“I've done those for years and I still don't get why people want them,” the piercer commented, now pulling gloves on. When Bill lifted his head to watch him, he got out his equipment, so the other could see that it was sterile, the needles being newly opened right in front of him.

After a few moments of preparation, the man walked over with a marker, placing small dots on each of Bill's earlobes before picking up the needles and the earrings. “Turn your head to the left.”

Bill did so, and Dipper leaned closer, wanting to watch the whole procedure. It wasn't anything long or complicated, though. The piercer grasped Bill's right ear, positioned the tip of the needle over the black dot. Then he quickly pushed it through the skin. Within a second, the first earring was snapped on, the needle removed, and Bill was told to turn his head the other way.

Dipper shifted around to watch this one, seeing that Bill looked positively content, just smiling serenely as he watched the piercer position the second needle, it pierced through, the earrings went on, and then it was over. The small amount of blood was swiftly daubed away.

“Okay, you can sit up and look in the mirror.” The man moved aside to start cleaning up.

Bill got up and checked himself out in the full length mirror on the wall. The gold orbs gleamed on his ears, and he turned his head a few ways to admire it. He even brushed his bangs away from his right eye, sliding the hair back behind his ear. Then he nodded. “I like it. Thank you.”

The piercer explained the after care procedures to him, giving him a brochure to refer to, and then let them go. As soon as they were outside, Bill reached up to fiddle with the earrings (which was exactly one of the things he was told not to do).

“These are fine, but way too simple,” he commented. “I want something more stylish.”

“Well, you can switch them out when your ears heal.”

“Bullshit, I'm switching them out now.” Rather than returning to the car, Bill continued to walk down the sidewalk, looking around at the surrounding stores.

“You're going to get an infection. Certain metals can cause reactions in a new piercing, that's why they sell you these particular ones to start with,” Dipper tried to explain, but Bill really did not care.

“As long as I wash them it'll be fine. Pine Tree, I once had a human body more than three thousand years ago in Egypt, and had my ears pierced through with the tip of a knife and gold hung from them. It was itchy and scabby for a while, kinda gooey with pus and blood, but then it cleared up and it was fine. I think, in this modern era of soap and vitamins, my body can handle it.”

And within ten minutes Bill had found a jewelry store and purchased a set of triangular gold earrings with brick patterns on them. He put them on as they walked out, and swung his head a bit so they swung back and forth below his ears.

“Much better!” he said gleefully.

“You're an idiot.”

Bill slung his arm around Dipper's neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Admit it. I look good.”

“Of course you look good. But if you get an infection don't expect any help from me.”

“As if I'd need your help. Hey, I'm hungry. Take me to get food.”

Dipper slid his arm around the other's waist, rolling his eyes but laughing when the demon butted his head against him. “Okay, fine. Let's go back to Gravity Falls, we can go to Greasy's Diner.”

Bill made a face but didn't argue. And when they returned to the car, Dipper dropped the keys into Bill's hand, which immediately cheered him up.

“You have a believable license,” Dipper explained as he went around to the passenger door. “So go ahead.”

“All right!” Bill leapt into the seat, starting the car.

“Seatbelt,” Dipper reminded him.

“I was getting to that.”

They buckled in, and Bill spent a few moments adjusting the seat and all the mirrors, just to piss Dipper off. Then he started the car and drove them back. Dipper was tense for a few moments, but when it became apparent that Bill was a good driver, he relaxed and reclined the seat back, gazing out the front window.

“What are we gonna do after lunch?” he asked.

Bill hummed thoughtfully. “I dunno... whatever you want to do. We could practice some magic like we usually do, or go find someone to collect payment from, or whatever. Take a walk through the woods, watch movies, it doesn't matter to me.”

Dipper scooted over in his seat, leaning over the armrest between them so he could wrap his arms around one of Bill's. “A walk would be nice.”

Bill took a hand off the wheel, reaching over to stroke Dipper's hair. “Then we can take a walk. Maybe... try to find that dragon that attacked you last year?”

Dipper snorted. “Dude. No.”

“Dragon steaks taste wonderful, ya know. Smoky.” Bill grasped the hair near Dipper's ear, curling it around a finger. “I'd like to see it try to mess with you now. With the magic you know, you could easily take it.”

“I bet I could. Wouldn't help me now though.”

“I think it'd be nice closure. Though you're probably glad all that happened. After all, you've had such a wonderful year with me.”

Dipper chuckled, eyes falling shut as he leaned his head into the petting. “It has been nice. Very exciting. Though... I still feel bad sometimes, you know? Like maybe... some people didn't deserve it.”

“A lot of things happen that people don't deserve. And a lot of things don't happen that people do deserve. That's just how the universe works. But you can always let them live. If a life isn't absolutely required, you're always free to just torture them and simply make them wish they were dead. Then we take what we need and go.”

“Yeah... there is that. Hey, now that you have a body, are you going to help me?”

“Oh, of course! I'll definitely be joining in from now on! Imagine what all we'll be able to do together. There are so many possibilities...”

Dipper opened his eyes, glancing over at him. “Got anyone in particular planned for tonight?”

“Hmm... there's someone in Greece that needs some intimidation, I can think of someone a few hours away who we can simply take money from and that'll do, and... a few more. Honestly, we've taken care of so many people by now. But hey, I'm still getting summons. Statistically, at least some of them won't pay up. We'll be able to get them soon too.”

“All right. That gives us more time for magic, then. Maybe I'll even... I don't know, write a book. I think that'd be fun.”

“Writing is a wonderful hobby. I'll help you with it if you want.”

“Sure.”

Once they were back in Gravity Falls, Bill stopped the car at Greasy's Diner and they went inside. It was almost noon and plenty of people had decided to go out to eat, it seemed; almost every table was full. Lazy Susan greeted the two as they claimed two chairs at the bar.

“Hi, Dipper,” she said cheerfully. “Who's your lovely friend?”

“This is Bill. He's new here.”

Bill coughed into his arm.

“Oh, well isn't he adorable.” With no regard to personal space, Susan pinched Bill's cheek and gave it a wiggle. He jerked back. Unperturbed, Susan lifted her notepad. “Pitt Cola, Dipper?”

“You know it,” he replied.

“And what would you like, young man?” she said to Bill.

Rubbing his cheek, Bill said, “Same.”

“Two Pitt Colas, coming right up.” She turned to walk away, but she called back to him, “Love your earrings, by the way. So hip!” She headed over to the drink machine, chuckling. “Silly kids.”

Bill shook his head and picked up a menu to browse. Dipper did the same, leaning over slightly to be closer to the other. Noticing, Bill hopped his chair over a bit, and leaned against Dipper. The human rested his head on his shoulder.

“You're enjoying being able to really touch me, aren't you?” Bill said, amused.

Dipper nodded. “Yep. Nothing against your natural form but this is much more comfortable.”

“Heh. Well, you can touch me however you like.”

Dipper lifted his head, giving him a suggestive smile that Bill was quick to mirror.

Susan returned to them, placing the drinks in front of them. Then she said, “So how did you two meet?”

“Oh, you know.” Dipper pretended to be very interested in his menu. “He's a supernatural creature and I'm into that, so we just clicked.”

“Oh, okay.”

Thank goodness that's an acceptable explanation in Gravity Falls. People have been used to the supernatural in this town for years, ever since the Society of the Blind Eye was disbanded. It still worried them at times, but they felt protected with people like Dipper around. He was quite well known by now.

“So you two are a thing, huh?” Susan asked. “Our new power couple?” She nudged Dipper, winking.

“Yes ma'am, I just swooped in and seduced him, he didn't stand a chance,” Bill laughed.

“Yeah I think I'm gonna have a grilled cheese with french fries,” Dipper said, looking at his menu.

Susan wrote down his order. “How about you, Bill?”

“Ah, a bacon cheeseburger will do nicely. No mayonnaise though. Please.”

“You got it, sweetie.” She playfully flicked at one of Bill's earrings. “You're a real cutie, you take good care of that Pines boy, all right? He can take care of himself but we all worry about him.”

“Oh, he's in safe hands.” Bill wrapped his arms around Dipper to hug him, and having noticed the two by now, a good portion of the rest of the restaurant cooed at them in approval.

“This is going to be town gossip by tomorrow,” Dipper said, trying to lean back. “What have you done?”

“Let them talk. We actually are in a relationship, what's the harm?”

“They could start making stuff up because they know like nothing about you. A week from now people will be talking about how you're secretly a vicious incubus that I defeated in battle and forced to submit to me. Or something.”

“Heh. We should roleplay that some time.”

“Oh my God.” Dipper sighed, then laughed as the other sweetly kissed his neck, and hugged him back. “Okay, yeah, I don't care what they say.”

Susan headed off to give their orders to the cook, then went to check in on the other guests. Dipper pried Bill off of him, and the two wasted time by flicking pieces of napkins at each other and sword fighting with their butter knives. By the time their food arrived, everyone else in the restaurant was probably talking about the energetic couple. With how sleepy things tended to be in Gravity Falls, it would definitely be the talk of the town soon.


	28. Don't Hate, Tolerate

After lunch, Dipper and Bill returned to the Mystery Shack. They saw Stan's car parked in its usual spot, so they didn't get out right away.

“How are we going to tell Stan about you?” Dipper asked. “You know he won't trust you.”

“I don't need him to trust me. I just need him to tolerate me enough to let me enter the house without trying to exorcise me,” Bill replied.

“You know he won't tolerate you. Not after.. that summer.”

Bill waved his hand flippantly. “I'm not worried about the old man. Just tell him we're in a relationship, he'll tolerate me as long as you want me around.”

“I'm not sure...”

“Pine Tree, trust me. Stan will do anything for you.”

Dipper nodded and got out of the car. He and Bill grabbed the bags of clothing from the mall and headed into the house.

“Grunkle Stan, I'm home,” he called as he walked past the staircase and poked his head into the living room.

“I was wondering where you got off to,” Stan said. He was reclined in his chair, reading a magazine.

“Did some shopping,” Dipper said, holding up his arms to show him the bags.

Stan looked over at him. “Since when do you shop-” His eyes fell on Bill and he sat up. “Who's that?”

“Oh, you know.” Dipper started up the stairs. “Bill Cipher.”

“Bill?!”

“I think we should put this stuff down,” Dipper said to Bill, who nodded in agreement. They went upstairs to drop off the bags, then returned to the living room. Stan was waiting for them.

“Did you say Bill?” he demanded, grabbing Dipper's shoulder.

“Yeah, I did.”

Stan breathed out slowly, glancing over at Bill. Then he looked back at Dipper. “Tell me that you're just making some twisted joke. Because I know you wouldn't just let that demon in here. Not after what he's done.”

“I've put all that behind me. Bill and I are working together now. No more hard feelings.”

Bill reached his hand out to Stan. “Good to see you again, Stan-”

“How do I know you're really Cipher?” Stan interrupted. “You could just be some weirdo Dipper asked to help prank me.”

Bill blinked, irises flashing blue. “Last night you dreamed of meeting a beautiful woman plated with gold. Roughly five and a half feet tall... quite curvy. You and her drank sparkling water and went sky diving.”

Stan scratched his head, letting go of Dipper. “That... that sounds right...” His brow furrowed. “It is you. Where did you get that body, Cipher?”

“I took it. Don't concern yourself with the details.”

“Well, no matter how human you may look now, you're still a demon. And you are not welcome in my house, so get out.”

Bill lifted an eyebrow. “After Pine Tree so graciously invited me in? I think not.”

“Well _Dipper_ doesn't own this house, I do.”

“For now.”

“Is that a threat?!”

Dipper stepped between them as Stan lifted his fists. “Stan, I love him.”

Bill grinned and Stan jerked back as if shot. “What?!”

Dipper swallowed nervously, but Bill's hand slid into his, and he felt a surge of confidence. “I love Bill. He loves me. We're together and if he wants to come in my house I'm going to let him.”

Stan stared at him, then at Bill, as if expecting him to laugh it off. But instead, Bill said, “Yeah, we're a couple. I guess. By the general definition of the word. Our relationship goes so much deeper than most words can describe. But yes, I love him.”

Dipper beamed, giving him a grateful look. Then he looked at Stan for his response. Only to catch the blur of his left fist as it solidly struck Bill in the jaw. The next moment, Bill was falling onto his back on the floor, a surprised gasp escaping him as the back of his skull collided with the wood.

“Stan!” Dipper grabbed his uncle's arm, trying to hold him back, but he didn't try to swing again.

Bill laid on the floor for a few seconds, eyes staring straight ahead, before chuckling and feeling his jaw, wincing. “Oh man, now that was a good punch. I can taste blood. Impressive.”

“That's for seven years ago.” Stan stretched his arm and stepped back. “Hurt Dipper and I'll hurt you twice as much.”

“Fair enough.”

Dipper leaned down and helped Bill up, looking at his face with concern. Bill soon moved his hand to rub the back of his head, and Dipper saw that the skin of his cheek was starting to bruise. “Are you okay? Any teeth knocked out?”

“My teeth are fine. This is nothing.” Bill kissed his cheek. “I'll heal it later.”

“Let's get something straight here,” Stan said firmly. “I don't like you. I will never like you. I don't know why Dipper loves you, and I'm questioning if you're even capable of loving him back. But I trust him. And if he wants you around, I will trust his judgment and tolerate you. But do not hurt him, or cause any trouble at all, or you'll have me to deal with.”

“If I step out of line, I'm sure your nephew will take care of me first,” Bill replied. “This body limits my magic. Not by much, but enough. Enough that a skilled magic user like him could do some serious damage.”

“I'm still keeping an eye on you.” Stan backed away from them, watching Bill suspiciously as he returned to his chair.

“Bill is the one who taught me how to use magic,” Dipper said. “That's what I was always out doing last year.”

Stan snorted. “So you weren't clubbing?”

“No.”

“Didn't think so.” Stan looked at the TV in disapproving silence.

Dipper walked over to him, frowning. “Hey, I get why you don't trust him. And I didn't either... at first. I really can't tell you everything, but I ended up helping him with something. And continuing to work with him. And... I just grew attached. I trust him and he depends on me, and he teaches me so much, about magic and history and so much more, and...” His voice began rising, “He cares about me, he really does, you might think he's just using me but it's not like that, he's-”

Bill's hand squeezing his shoulder stopped him. He looked back at the demon, blinking as he became aware that his eyes were watering. Bill brushed his thumb under Dipper's eyes to wipe them off, and murmured, “There's no need to get upset.” Then he addressed Stan. “You don't need to know how we started working together, or what we do. But don't doubt for an instant that I love him. He is so important to me, for reasons besides how he helps me. You may think I'm selfish, and it's true, but I can still love. And I love Pine Tree. He's smart, he's resourceful, he's brave, he's determined, he's motivated, and-”

Stan held up a hand, cutting him of. “He's my nephew, I know how great he is. And something tells me you're not lying about your feelings. But I'm only tolerating you because you're with him. I don't want anything to do with you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Bill said coolly.

There was silence for a while as they all pretended to watch the TV, which was showing some old black and white movie that had most likely been left on for background noise. Then Stan spoke again. “Whatever you two are working on together... It's not dangerous, is it?”

Dipper shook his head. “Not at all.”

“...You aren't going to tell me what you're doing, are you?”

“Sorry, but it's best left a secret. Can't discuss it.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Nah.”

“Is it morally questionable?”

Dipper glanced at Bill, who answered, “A bit. If your morals are against that kind of thing. To me, it's acceptable. And to Pine Tree, it's justified.”

“...I don't want to know. Just keep me out of it.”

Bill smirked. “Unless you go sticking your nose in where you don't belong, we'll leave you out of it.”

“I really don't appreciate your threats, Cipher.”

“And I don't appreciate humans getting into my business. Again, keep to yourself and there will be no issue. Cause problems, and well...” Bill flicked his fingers, blue fire dancing along his fingertips. “There may just be an accident the next time Dipper practices magic...”

“Cipher, you have five seconds to get out or I'm punching you again, and this time, I'm taking teeth out.”

“Ooh, don't threaten me with a good time,” Bill cooed. When Stan's arm flexed, he said, “Okay, we're leaving, come on Pine Tree, let's go into the woods and burn things.”

“Okay.” Dipper followed him out, and Bill had to duck as Stan threw his magazine at him. It would be best to just let Stan adjust to this, he decided.

They held hands as they walked through the forest, not really talking, just enjoying each other's company. Dipper glanced over at Bill a lot, just appreciating his appearance. He especially liked his haircut, and the style of his eyeliner. And though he wasn't going to tell Bill how to dress, he thought that he looked really good in that simple black tank top Akil had worn and that Bill was still wearing simply because he hadn't bothered to change yet. It fit his body well, the lines of his abdomen almost visible through it, and also kept his arms bare. Dipper could appreciate good muscle tone, and Bill's body definitely had it. He hoped he maintained it.

“Have you thought about getting a tattoo?” he asked.

“Not really. Why do you ask?”

Dipper shrugged. “I was just looking at your shoulder and thinking... You'd look pretty good with a tattoo.”

“I do enjoy getting them. I just hadn't thought about it until now. What do you think I should get?”

“Probably something simple to start with.” Dipper traced a finger down Bill's bicep. “Maybe a small pine tree. Right here.”

“Heh. In that case, you'd have to get a triangle. For me.”

“I wouldn't mind getting something like that.” Dipper dropped his hand, looking Bill over again. “I could see you with wings across your back.”

“Now that would be cool.”

“Like, make them Egyptian styled... and your skin is kinda dark, so have it be colored. Like gold or something.”

“A gold tattoo,” Bill mused. “Heh. I'd like that.”

When they were a suitable distance from the Mystery Shack, they stopped. Bill stretched and cracked his knuckles, casually asking, “What lives around here?”

“Here?” Dipper glanced around at the trees before saying, “Nothing in particular, I don't think... Might be birds in the trees, squirrels, ya know.”

“Hmm.” Bill stretched his arms out, swinging them in circles. “Well, that's unfortunate.” He thrust a hand forward, a blue ball of flame erupting from his palm and slamming into a tree trunk. The wood splintered and the tree swayed back from the force. Bill laughed as heat washed over them. “Come on Pine Tree, help me!”

Dipper stepped up next to him, taking aim at the tree and blasting it with his own yellow flames. The trunk snapped and it fell back, crashing into other trees and shaking the ground when it landed.

“So how much of your power can you use right now?” Dipper asked curiously.

“A good amount. This mortal flesh and blood does make it a little more difficult, but I can compensate. Heh, you should feel how tired this body has gotten already. I'll need to condition it.” Bill spun to fire at another tree, with more force, breaking it apart in one shot. In the blue glow of flames, his grin looked positively demonic. It was fitting.

Dipper's fingers itched as he let magic course down the lengths of his arms. His skin tingled, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise slightly. Out here, he didn't have to hold back his magic. He could do whatever he wanted.

“Let go,” Bill said to him. “Just let go. You know you want to.” His hand slid into Dipper's, and the magic grew to a buzz, pounding through the human to the beat of his heart. “Show me your passion for destruction.”

Dipper inhaled, and swung his free hand out, arcing in front of him. Fire burst up in a line mirroring the movement of his hand, licking up the trees, spreading much more quickly than a natural fire would. Smoke soon filled the air, and he didn't even feel tired once he finished the spell. He barely had to think the exact words of it... he had simply willed the fire to exist, and it had obeyed him.

“Yes, good, keep going!” Bill urged.

Dipper pulled his hand away so he could use both of them, pouring energy into it as he knocked down trees with the force of his mind alone, throwing rocks, ripping the ground up. Embers flew through the air as trees were toppled, and the fire continued to spread. Bill laughed as he joined in, and together the two tore apart the surrounding forest for the sheer thrill of it.

Bill turned to look at Dipper after a few minutes, and saw that his eyes were alight with joy, taking so much pleasure in what he was doing, and Bill was fascinated by how the flames were reflected in his eyes. He waited until Dipper had lowered his hands to consider his next target, and then pounced on him.

Dipper stumbled under his weight, and when Bill's lips met his, he let himself fall back onto the ground, kissing him back. It wasn't rushed, or firm; their lips slid together gently, with little nibbles, the occasional tug eliciting giggles. Dipper felt flutters in his stomach and ended up laughing, sitting up and pushing Bill's face back. “Okay, that's enough, there's kinda a huge fire around us.”

Bill hummed. “It won't touch us.” He leaned in for another kiss. “You look so amazing in the glow of flames. I had to touch you.”

“Heh. You look amazing too.” Dipper brushed his hand through Bill's hair.

The demon looked past him, and smiled. “Look at it. Just... look.”

Dipper turned to watch the fire. The blue and yellow swirled together, rising along trees and licking across the ground, the colors never blending completely, but complementing each other perfectly. The yellow seemed to be doing more raw damage, biting through wood with ease, while the blue seemed to leap higher and move faster.

“It's beautiful,” Dipper whispered.

“Look what we made together.” Bill's fingers curled through his. “Your power is remarkable. Why, you spend a lifetime developing it, and you may be as powerful as me after you die.”

Dipper lifted an eyebrow. “I thought there wasn't an afterlife.”

“There isn't. In the conventional sense. But humans can certainly ascend and become demons or angels. You would make a fantastic demon.” Bill leaned against him, gazing out at the burning trees. “Just look at what you've done. Imagine what else you could do. Imagine being immortal.”

Dipper began to feel some regret. “Hey, uh... do you think we should have lit the forest on fire like this?”

“Ah, it'll be fine. Stuff like this happens with no explanation all the time. Besides, birth is not possible without death. Once this dies down, new life will rise from the ashes.”

“Will it die down, though? That fire isn't natural.” Dipper noted how rocks seemed to be crumbling under it. And should green grass dry out and burn that quickly?

“We'll put it out.” Bill pinned him down, kissing him again, a little more firmly now. Dipper kept his eyes open for a few moments, trying to watch the fire, but soon groaned and closed them, responding. His hands moved along Bill's sides and back, and he felt the other twitch. The demon was really enjoying being able to touch him like this, wasn't he? Then again... he was enjoying it too.

He felt Bill's knee rub into his crotch and moaned, bucking slightly when the other pulled on his lower lip with his teeth. His face flushed. How did the demon get to him so easily?

Bill chuckled. “Hey, you're a romantic, right?”

“A bit,” Dipper admitted.

“Think about how romantic it would be for me to make love to you right here in this field...” Bill's hand slid down Dipper's side. “Our fire burning around us, bathing us in warmth and casting this beautiful light over us... Imagine it.”

Dipper inhaled softly, looking at how the yellows and blues highlighted Bill's face. He was gorgeous in the warm glow around them, and the temperature was perfect, and it was honestly so comfortable...

But he really didn't want to get distracted, considering the... well, magical fire happily eating away at the trees around them. “Look, Bill... that sounds amazing, but... maybe we should put this fire out, and... go collect one of those payments you mentioned?”

Bill stared down at him for a few moments. Then he exhaled and got up. “All right.” He held out his hand and pulled the other up. “We can go after someone. And you know what? It's gonna be someone that I think deserves death. Because...” He flexed his fingers. “I really want to murder someone. It's fun watching you do it, but... I want to rip into someone myself. With my bare hands. You in?”

Dipper smiled and nodded, taking his hands. “I'm so in.”

They stood together for a while, just admiring how the other appeared in this lighting.

Until Dipper said, “So, I'm thinking a rainstorm spell?”

“Yeah. Definitely.”

 


	29. Open Your Heart

The two first returned to the Mystery Shack to change into more covering clothing, and then Dipper let Bill take the lead as they teleported to a town that would have taken hours to drive to. Bill seemed to have no trouble using any type of magic through the human body, and as they approached their victim's house, he tested a few of his other abilities. Little things, like summoning fire and moving objects around, just to confirm he could do those things. Then he stopped, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention.

“Bill, this is kinda a rich neighborhood,” Dipper commented, glancing around at the large, neat houses.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Uh... should we have come here during the day?” Dipper noticed people glancing at him. He had to look suspicious, walking around with a hood pulled up over his head and jeans that weren't exactly clean nor whole. Not to mention, he was with a noticeably dark-skinned boy wearing skinny jeans with a collared shirt. And earrings. They definitely stood out in this neighborhood.

“It'll be fine,” Bill said nonchalantly. “They'll scoff about us and get on with their lives. Your face is hidden and mine won't be recognized. At least, no one will see it clearly enough to identify me later. The only person who will be seeing it is the man we're about to kill.”

“Why are we coming out at this time, though? Usually we wait until it's dark.” Dipper checked his watch. “It'll be at least an hour until sunset.”

“I wanted to time it so that we'll get him alone,” Bill said. “Right now his wife's at work and his daughter is spending the night with a friend. We won't be bothered if we get him now.”

“Cool.”

They casually looked over the house as if considering whether or not they knew who lived there, then moved on. They weren't going to get any closer with people watching them; they would leave the area and teleport into the fenced in backyard. From there, they could sneak in without being seen by the neighbors.

They found a small park with just enough trees to hide them from view, and once they were sure no one was looking at them, slipped behind them and teleported. They reappeared in the backyard of their target's house and crouched down, hurrying to the porch. Once they were able to see the interior, they were able to teleport into there as well.

“Okay, he should be upstairs, in his study,” Bill said quietly. “Let's make this quick.” He pulled on the gloves that Dipper had given him, and they headed upstairs.

When they found the right room, they waited on either side of the door for a few moments, as Bill used his power of perception to see what was happening inside. Then he thought to Dipper, _He's just opening letters and reading them. He writes for magazines and stuff. So he's looking at his fanmail._

_Oh, so he's well-liked. That's too bad._

Bill stifled a laugh.  _Indeed. Well, let's get to it. You have that weapon you made?_

Dipper unzipped his coat and reached into an inside pocket, carefully removing a short rod of wood that had several pieces of twine wrapped around it. These pieces of twine all connected to the wood at the top, while the ends of the twine hung free. And embedded in the twine were pieces of metal and glass.

_That'll make him scream. But I think I'll stick to using my fists. Are you ready?_

Dipper nodded. Bill entered the room with the human right behind him.

The man heard them coming and turned away from his desk, dropping the envelope he was holding. “What-”

Then they both grabbed him and pulled him from the chair, slamming him to the floor.

“What is this?” he demanded, struggling.

Dipper was beyond the point where he wanted to explain to each and every person what exactly they did wrong, so he simply said, “I'm with Bill Cipher.”

“I am Bill Cipher,” Bill said.

That familiar expression of terror crossed the man's face. “Cipher, I... no, give me more time, I-”

“Too late!” With no further words, Bill punched him in the nose, breaking it. Blood dripped out within seconds.

Dipper let out a surprised laugh. “Not wasting any time are you?”

“He knows what he did.” Bill wrestled the man over onto his back, continuing to punch him. Dipper held his arms down so he couldn't fight back. “Don't you, Wilhelm?”

Wilhelm tried to wiggle free, so Dipper decided to start using his weapon. He grabbed the makeshift cat o' nine tails and swung them down across the man's legs. They cut easily through his trousers, ripping great gashes in the fabric and flaying open the skin.

Wilhelm screamed and kicked his legs, which Dipper easily stepped away from. Bill was still raining blows on his face, laughing wildly.

“This is fantastic!” he said, grinning as he began knocking teeth out of Wilhelm's mouth. The man managed to get up with a burst of adrenaline, just enough to turn over and spit the teeth out. While he was up on his arms, Dipper slammed his foot down on his back, slamming his face into the floor. There was a crunch as additional teeth were torn out. Or broken, at least.

Dipper began lashing at Wilhelm's back with the cat o' nine tails, cutting deep wounds through the skin that bled profusely. Each strike tore a shriek from the man, whose hands clawed at the floor as he tried to push himself back up. Bill stomped down on his legs, not stopping until one actually broke.

When Wilhelm's back was a massacre of deep cuts and torn flesh, Dipper paused to admire the blood streaming down, staining the man's shirt and the carpet under him. Then he stepped down on one of the man's hands, slowly and methodically breaking his fingers.

“I am having so much fun,” Bill said, kicking Wilhelm's legs one last time before kneeling down and slapping the wounds on his back, making him jolt and yell.

“Please, stop,” Wilhelm pleaded, still trying to get up, trying to hit them, but every time he moved, they simply shoved him back down on his stomach, Dipper kicking his arms aside or stomping on them.

“Maybe you shouldn't have tried to cheat me out of my payment for our deal,” Bill said. “Hey Pine Tree, find something we can kill him with, why don't you?”

“What, you don't want to beat him to death?” Dipper teased as he lifted the cat o' nine tails, considering them before going to check out Wilhelm's desk.

“That'll take too long. I'm satisfied with the beatings I have already administered.” Bill knelt down next to Wilhelm's head, turning it roughly so he could look at his bloody face. His nose was crushed in, eyes almost swelled shut. He was breathing raggedly through his mouth, most of his front teeth broken or missing completely. Bill chuckled and pressed his face back against the carpet.

“All right, but feel free to do whatever you want to him while I look for something.” Dipper eyed the stacks of letters, smiling when he heard the distinct sound of fists against flesh and pained grunting. Then his eyes fell on the object sitting near the unopened envelopes. His smile stretched into a grin as he picked it up, and he turned back to Bill. “Hey, how about this?”

Bill looked up and saw Dipper holding a letter opener. He grinned. “Yes, perfect! Bring it over.”

Dipper came over to kneel next to him, and Bill rolled Wilhelm over onto his back. The man looked like he was about to pass out, but when he was moved, he struck out with his fists and managed to catch Bill on the chin. The demon jerked back, rubbing his chin, and then hissed.

“You little shit, you'll regret that.” Bill grabbed the letter opener from Dipper and impaled it directly into Wilhelm's right eye.

The resulting scream sent a shiver down Dipper's spine. When Wilhelm tried to grab it, Dipper grabbed one arm and held it down while Bill held down the other. Then Bill moved to pin the arm down with his knees instead, wrenching the letter opener free. The entire eye came out with it, optic nerve trailing along behind it. Bill snorted and put a hand on Wilhelm's head, holding it steady as he snapped the nerve free. He casually wiped the eye off on the floor and handed the letter opener to Dipper. “Kill him, before he dies of shock.”

Dipper looked at the letter opener, then back at Bill. “Okay. I see what you're saying, but... Bill, this is just a letter opener. How am I going to get it through his sternum?”

“You've got a lot of muscle, just force it through there. Go ahead, try it. It's okay if it takes a few tries, we've got time.”

Dipper examined the tool, then looked down at Wilhelm. The man had closed his eyelids over the socket where his eye used to be, but his other eye was wide and terrified, brimming with tears.

“Don't you want to beg?” Dipper asked with a bored tone, moving the blade over Wilhelm's chest.

Wilhelm seemed too scared to speak, though, only shaking his head rapidly and whimpering.

“Hm. Shame. I like it when they fight and beg.” Dipper looked up at Bill. “So, want him dead?”

“Yep. Put him down, Pine Tree.”

Dipper didn't need to be asked again. He stabbed down, and it cut through easily enough until it hit the sternum. He held Wilhelm's head down with a hand as he renewed his struggling, knees on the arm that Bill wasn't holding. He pulled the letter opener out, and stabbed down again. And again, it was stopped by the bone. Frustrated, Dipper wiggled it around, trying to slip between two ribs. But while it was somewhat sharp, it wasn't quite sharp enough to get through. It was like trying to stab someone with a butter knife.

After slamming it down a few more times, he finally decided to try a different angle. He sank it in as far as he could directly above the heart, and then let go of it, grasping it with his magic instead. His hands hovered above it, and slowly, he gave it the order to sink down.

No longer restricted by muscle strength, the blade moved. It strained against the bone, and then broke right through it and continued on.

Wilhelm began to hyperventilate and cry out, body thrashing, requiring Bill and Dipper to use more strength to hold him down. Once they had him pinned, Dipper returned his attention to his magic, forcing the letter opener in deeper. He could see bone through the split in the skin, and smiled at the sight of blood pouring out. Really, it was probably the blood loss that was keeping their victim down now. It was usually like that. Hit them fast, get them bleeding and break bones... most people weren't able to fight back very well after that. The younger ones could. But when their targets were middle-aged, there wasn't usually much fight. At least, not that Dipper couldn't handle at this point. Not with his body as laced with strengthening and protective magic as it was.

The man was straining against the two anyway, legs still kicking despite one being broken, face green from the pain, though it was rapidly losing color. His movements started to weaken, and Dipper felt the flesh give way more easily as he finally got past the bone. He forced the blade in until the entire tool was buried in Wilhelm's chest, sliding directly through the heart, and soon the man wasn't struggling anymore. His remaining eye stared straight ahead, mouth gaping open, though air was no longer passing his lips.

Dipper released the magic once he was sure the heart had stopped, able to see the chest no longer rising or falling. He chuckled with satisfaction and stood up.

“Absolutely cold-blooded,” Bill commented as he stood too, kicking Wilhelm's arm carelessly. He smiled at Dipper. “I love it.”

“I love you,” Dipper retorted, and Bill pulled him into a deep kiss.

“I love you too,” he responded, hands coming up to grasp Dipper's cheeks, just looking at him. Then he laughed and rubbed his nose against the other's. “Your eyes look fantastic right now. Actually, your whole face is just glowing with bloodlust.”

“Mm... or with some type of lust, anyway.” Dipper tilted his head to kiss him again, pleased when Bill's hands dropped to his hips.

“Maybe when we get back,” Bill murmured. “Wilhelm's wife will be home any moment. And I don't want us being interrupted by her screaming.”

“Works for me.” Dipper pulled away from him, considering pulling the letter opener free, but ultimately leaving it in. He picked up the cat o' nine tails and started to wrap them, but they were covered in blood and he really didn't want that inside his coat. So he used his magic to levitate them in front of himself and light them on fire. He watched them burn, the twine shriveling and falling apart, the broken metal and glass clattering to the floor. The main section blackened and broke, and he lowered it all to the floor, leaving it to burn into ashes on its own. And if the carpet itself caught on fire... well that wasn't his problem.

He looked back up at Bill and took his hand. “Let's go home.”

They returned to the shack as the Sun was setting, and spent a few minutes watching the sky change colors over the forest before going inside, holding hands and laughing about how Wilhelm had died, but movement in the recliner caught their attention, and they immediately stopped when they saw that Stan was still watching TV. Except he wasn't watching TV now. He was staring at them, taking in the blood covering their hands and clothing, eyes wide.

Dipper slowly held up his hands, searching desperately for an excuse. “S-Stan, I...”

“What the hell did you do?” Stan whispered, standing up and walking closer. Dipper backed up, but Bill stood his ground. Stan grabbed the demon instead, shaking him. “What the  _fuck_ did you two just do?!”

“What do you mean?” Bill asked calmly, looking unconcerned.

“You're both covered in blood! You better answer me right now!”

Bill easily pushed Stan's hands off him. “If I were you, I wouldn't concern myself with it.” He draped an arm around Dipper's neck. “Come on, let's go wash off.”

Dipper cast Stan an uncertain, apologetic look but allowed Bill to turn him away toward the stairs. They heard footsteps back toward the recliner, and thought that Stan was going to sit down again. Then Dipper heard an unmistakable clicking sound, but before he even had time to turn back around, there was a deafening bang, one of Bill's legs buckled, and he fell to his knees with an agonized scream.

Behind him, Stan pumped the shotgun he was holding. “You're not going anywhere until I get some answers, Cipher.”


	30. Unwanted Conversation

Dipper could have sworn his heart stopped when he saw Stan holding that gun, but Bill's pained groan snapped him out of it, and he quickly leaned down to help him up.

“Oww, fuck,” Bill swore, and Dipper felt him put all his weight on him, both arms wrapping around him.

“Bill, are you all right, did he hit you?” Dipper asked quickly, holding the other up. He could see Bill grimace as he struggled to stand.

“Ah, y-yes, left leg.”

Looking over Bill's shoulder, Dipper saw that the slug had almost completely removed his left leg below the knee. It was just barely attached by a few shreds of skin, the bone just barely visible through the blood pouring out. And from what he could see, the bone was split apart.

Dipper hissed in sympathetic pain and looked back up at Stan, whose expression was cold and hard.

“Next time, it's going in his head,” Stan said. “Now, talk.”

Bill put weight on that leg, gasped, and shifted his weight to the other side. “Nn, that is _not_ a hilarious pain. Fuck, that is not going to be fun to fix at all.”

“I'll fix it later,” Dipper assured him, before addressing his great uncle. “Stan, put the gun down.”

“Like hell I'm putting the gun down, you expect me to lower my defenses around that monster?”

Dipper's voice hardened. “I'm giving you a chance to put it down yourself, or I'm taking it from you.”

“Kid, I don't know what's gotten into you, but we are going to talk-”

Dipper flexed his fingers, and the gun was ripped from Stan's hands. Supporting Bill with one arm, Dipper raised the other, and the gun levitated out of Stan's reach.

“This is staying up here until we're done talking,” Dipper said calmly.

If Stan was intimidated, he didn't show it. He only straightened up and looked at the pair, took in a breath, and said, “I want to know where you two just were. Because something tells me that blood doesn't belong to a monster you were fighting in the woods.”

“It might,” Bill replied, forcing a smile onto his face. But it was obvious from his eyes that he was in pain. Dipper could feel his injured leg trembling.

“Don't give me that crap, Cipher. I heard what you two were saying as you walked in here. You killed someone, didn't you?”

Dipper inhaled, glancing at Bill. He had a mental conversation with him, agreeing on what they should say, and then spoke aloud. “Well, you were going to find out eventually, I guess. Yeah.”

Stan was somewhat prepared for it, but it still hurt hearing Dipper admit it. His brows lifted, expression becoming more pained. “Kid, why?” His voice broke.

Dipper felt a pang in his heart, but with Bill still shaking with pain beside him, it was easy to stay angry at Stan. “I owe him.”

“Owe him? You... Dear God, Dipper, did you make a  _deal_ with him?”

“Yeah, I did. I had to.”

“There's never a reason to make a deal with him! I thought you were intelligent, why-”

“He saved my life.”

That shut Stan up. He gaped at them, and when his eyes met Bill's, the demon smirked. After a few moments, Stan asked, “He... what?”

“Last year. Remember when I told you about the wyvern attacking Mabel and I?”

Stan's brows furrowed. “Yeah, I think I remember something about that... Yeah, you said you fought it off.”

Dipper chuckled, feeling Bill attempt to straighten into a proud pose. “Nope. Bill got rid of it for us.”

“That's right,” Bill confirmed. “I told that big lizard to take a hike. And in doing so, saved Pine Tree and Shooting Star's lives. They owed me.”

“And you just happened to be there to save them?” Stan accused.

Bill's eyes twinkled. “Yeah, what a coincidence, huh? But I don't do things for free. They had to pay me back somehow. I gave them years of life, right? Since they were otherwise going to lose it. So they owed me their lives. I generously decided that only one would have to give their life to me. And Pine Tree took the deal.”

Stan's attention shifted back to Dipper. “Why would you do that?”

“It was either me or Mabel,” Dipper replied. “Or both of us being killed. I did what I had to.”

“You couldn't have thought of-”

“You'd do it for your sibling, right?” That made Stan stop, a flicker of sorrow in his eyes. Dipper continued, “I chose to do this, so Mabel could live a happy life. And you know what? It's not so bad.”

“Not so bad?” Stan repeated in disbelief. “If he's making you kill people, how-”

“I got used to it. He started me off easy, and I just kinda... worked up to it. And a little bit of his magic didn't hurt.” Dipper looked down at Bill's leg in worry; it was still bleeding heavily, and he wasn't sure he could fix it. How could he fix flesh that had been blown off?

“But don't worry about it,” Bill said. “We don't kill anyone who doesn't deserve it.”

“Well, we probably have different ideas of who 'deserves it',” Stan replied.

“Probably. But that's not my problem. Pine Tree does what I say. End of story.”

Stan looked at Dipper. “And he has no problem doing this?”

Dipper shrugged. “I don't feel bad about it anymore, no. It's kinda fun, actually.”

Stan shook his head. “Cipher has corrupted you,” he muttered. “The Dipper I know would never enjoy killing people.”

“Maybe you didn't know your nephew as well as you thought you did,” Bill said coolly.

That comment made Stan take a step back, eyes widening. Then he clenched his fists. “No. You've changed him. It's because of you that he's like this.”

“Well yeah, of course it's because of me. But that doesn't mean he can't enjoy it.” Bill looked at Dipper, running a hand up his back. “It's how he copes. By laughing about it, rather than crying. I prefer him to enjoy it. It makes this so much easier. And you should see how good he is. He kills so efficiently. He's a perfect partner for a demon, honestly.”

Dipper nodded in agreement, and Stan closed his eyes, shaking his head. When he opened them again, it was obvious he was trying to keep his emotions in check. “Who... what kind of people do you... you know? Kill?”

“Only those who have made deals with me that they couldn't keep,” Bill replied. “People who knew that my alternate payment is always their life. Or maybe didn't know, but should have anyway. There are so many people who try to cheat me. Thanks to Pine Tree, I've been able to get what they owe me.”

Stan did not seem appeased by that explanation. “Murder is still wrong.”

“You can believe that all you want. But I don't care. And unless you want me to kill your nephew  _and_ niece, you aren't going to interfere in Pine Tree's work.” Bill leaned his head against Dipper, who thoughtlessly nuzzled back against him. “I really don't want to kill either of them, so stay in your lane.”

Stan opened his mouth as if to say more, closed it, and lowered his head. He took a couple steps back, and Dipper shifted his attention to the shotgun, using his magic to disassemble it. The sections fell apart, bolt, spring, pins, and other small pieces dropping to the ground, the slug forcibly yanked from its chamber and thrown in a different direction. Only when it was in dozens of pieces did he drop all of it. He knew Stan had other guns, but it would take him a while to get to them. And it would take an expert to reassemble this one.

As the pieces clattered across the ground, Dipper pulled Bill up higher with one arm, glancing at his face. The demon swayed in his grip, but seemed alert. He met Dipper's eyes and simply said, “Blood loss. The body's losing consciousness.”

“We'll take care of it,” Dipper said, but he really wasn't sure. Bill might end up needing a new body already. Or at least, the bottom half of his leg may have to be amputated.

Bill nodded and used Dipper for support as he straightened up, looking at Stan, who was alternating between staring at the gun components on the floor, and the pair. When he saw that Bill was looking, however, he kept his stare on him. He seemed unsure, on edge. His eyes watched them intelligently, as if analyzing them for weakness, for any possible solution, but his posture was worried.

“I would suggest not challenging us again,” Bill said smoothly. When Stan only glared at him, he raised his voice, “Do you understand, Pines?!”

Stan flinched at the volume, but yelled back, “You're not keeping him! I will get rid of you, Cipher! No matter what deals you've made, no matter what it takes, I will banish you! You may think you're strong, but you're still a demon, and there are ways to get rid of you!”

Bill's gold irises shifted to red as he snarled back, “Try, and I will kill you.”

Dipper's blood ran cold, but he couldn't say a word in Stan's defense. He knew that Bill would respond violently to any attempts to banish him, and nothing he said would change that. So he only looked straight ahead, trying to keep his expression neutral, wanting this to be over.

“You wouldn't,” Stan said. “You wouldn't hurt Dipper like that.”

“He'll get over it,” Bill said, his tone as cold as ice now. “He'll cry and mourn and then he'll move on, like humans always do. In time, he may even be glad for it.”

Dipper said nothing, looking down, as though interested in the blood soaking into the carpet.

“I don't care what you say,” Stan said quietly. “I'll find a way to banish you.”

“Hmph. I look forward to your attempts. Pine Tree, help me upstairs. I believe my body is about to pass out from blood loss and I want it to be lying down when it does.”

Dipper began walking, and Bill limped along on his uninjured leg, holding the other off the ground the best he could. But he seemed to have no ability to curl it up, the muscle of his calf torn to shreds, so his toes dragged along the ground, no doubt sending painful jolts up his body. But his expression remained unfazed, except for how his eyes were still angry from the discussion with Stan.

“Would you really kill him?” Dipper asked once they were out of earshot and slowly making their way up the stairs.

Bill sighed lowly, his expression finally lightening. “I don't want to hurt you,” he said carefully. “But you must understand... I view all threats equally. If he tries to get rid of me... I will fight back. If he doesn't stop... I will eliminate him. I won't kill him right away. But... it will always be an option.”

Dipper nodded in understanding, helping Bill up another step. The demon stumbled, left leg smacking into one of the stairs, and his face turned green.

“You're not going to make it,” Dipper whispered hopelessly.

“Sit me down,” Bill ordered. Dipper helped him sit down on a step, and knelt down in front of him. Bill gently took his face in his hands, drew his head in close, and muttered, “Why don't you just teleport us, you dumb shit?”

Dipper would have been offended by that if he wasn't so appalled at himself for not thinking of using his magic. In his panic, he had forgotten that was an option. But he tried to make a smooth recovery. “Well, why didn't  _you_ teleport us?”

Bill blinked at him, then chuckled, leaning his forehead against Dipper's. “Fair point. When one is in pain, it's hard to remember things.” He looked down, taking in the sight of his left leg. “Hm. That's going to be tough... Let's get to your room. Quickly.”

Dipper grasped his waist firmly, feeling Bill's fingers dig into his shoulders. They used their magic together, and with barely any effort, teleported themselves to Dipper's room. Bill immediately sank onto the desk chair, and Dipper hurriedly found something to prop his leg up on.

“Okay, we have pain meds in the bathroom, here!” Dipper used a quick spell to summon the bottle, tossing it into Bill's hands. As Bill opened it and took a few out, Dipper's hands hovered over his leg. But now he was able to fully take in the damage, and his stomach churned. Sure, he's done worse to people. But this was Bill. His  _lover_ . And he was in pain. As long as he was still possessing the body, he was going to feel everything it did. The fact that he was still awake was impressive.

It took some careful magic and a lot of energy for Dipper to even make a noticeable improvement on Bill's leg. His main focus was on the bone, mending it back together, which was easy enough considering how visible it was. He had to keep vanishing the blood away to see what he was doing, and he could see Bill beginning to slump back more, breathing slowing. He's killed enough people to know the symptoms of shock.

Dipper took a break to go grab a blanket, bringing it over to wrap around Bill's shoulders in an attempt to keep him warm. Then he knelt down at his leg once more, finishing his healing of the bone. Then he eyed the skin around it, wondering how he was going to fill the wound back in. Did he have the skill for that? Well, he had to try. He focused, willing the layers of muscle to shift and form new tissue, filling in the empty spaces. He reconnected the veins and ran them through, and finally layered fat and skin over that. Messy, but... it would do. The bleeding had stopped and the wound was no longer exposed to the air. He sat back, sighing and wiping sweat from his brow.

“Good job,” Bill said quietly, making Dipper start. Looking up, he saw that the demon had been watching him.

“Heh. Thanks.” Dipper glanced back down, worrying his lip as he saw a bulging, blotchy scar where Bill had been shot.

Then the demon's hand came down to lift his chin, making him look at him. “It'll do. I can make it pretty later.”

Chuckling, Dipper crawled closer to the other, leaning up to kiss him. It was a nice moment while it lasted, but then reality caught up to him. He looked down. “Stan isn't going to leave us alone.”

“I know.”

“So what are we going to do about it?”

Bill began running his hand through Dipper's hair, curling the locks around. “I wouldn't worry about it. I'm working it out right now.”

“Um, Bill...?”

“I'm  _working it out_.” 

Dipper knew better than to ask further questions. He just leaned into the other's petting, closing his eyes and hoping that somehow, it would be a peaceful solution.


	31. The Calm

Bill ended up dozing off in the chair, and Dipper lifted him in his arms, carrying him over to the bed and laying him down. As he was pulling a blanket over him, he felt a familiar hand touch his shoulder.

“It'll need to sleep for a while,” Bill said, floating next to Dipper in his natural form. “It lost a lot of blood.”

“Will it be okay?” Dipper asked.

“Should be. Leg might hurt to walk on, but it'll heal.” Bill examined the face of his vessel, curiously turning it about with a hand. “It looks different, seeing it like this and not through a mirror. The hair looks pretty good.”

“I like it,” Dipper agreed.

Bill let go and turned to Dipper. “Well, now what?”

“Now? I kinda want to clean up all that blood you left.”

“No problem.” Bill went over to where he had been sitting, magically cleaning the area.

Dipper, meanwhile, headed downstairs. He removed blood from the stairs, and once he got to the carpeted living room, had to take more time. The blood had soaked in, so now he had to focus on removing even the smallest droplets from the strands, trying to get the stains out. The dismantled gun still laid on the floor, but Stan was no longer in the room. Dipper wasn't sure where he had gone, so he asked Bill when the demon joined him.

“Basement,” Bill said. His brow furrowed. “But those rooms are covered with wards... I can't see what he's doing. I just know he went down there.”

Dipper nodded, finally managing to clean the carpet. He went to sink into the recliner, and Bill soon perched on his lap. It was nice, having the other's light pressure against him, warmth soaking in through his clothes. Dipper idly stroked Bill's side as he said, “You do know that Stan is worried about me, right? I mean, I'm doing magic and dating a demon and he just found out we've been killing people, he's concerned. And you know he's not going to just let us keep doing that... He's going to try to stop us.”

“I am aware of this. Let me handle it.”

“You're not going to hurt him, are you?” Dipper leaned over the other, wrapping his arms around him the best he could. “I don't want you to hurt him.”

“Pine Tree, I'll do what I can to settle this peacefully. But your uncle is persistent. He won't tolerate me any more, knowing what I'm making you do.”

“Maybe... just wipe his memory of all this. You can do that, can't you?”

“Kid, memories are complex. They aren't just a thing sitting in the brain that I can take and throw away. Memories are woven into the rest of the mind. They affect thoughts, knowledge, emotions, and so many subtle areas. It is very difficult to remove a memory. Even if I did, Stan would become greatly disoriented and aware that he's forgotten something he shouldn't have. Suspicion would return. We would only be delaying him.”

“People suppress memories,” Dipper pointed out. “And they forget things. Can you not just... get him to forget?”

“I could try, but people usually forget insignificant things, or things they just don't want to deal with. Stan very much wants to deal with this, so he's going to be thinking about it, mulling it over. He won't forget or suppress it himself, so it would be hard for me to make him. Again, I can try. But trying is all I can promise, and again... He'll just figure it out.”

“We'll be more careful. Make sure we've cleaned ourselves up before coming home, just tell him you're my boyfriend and don't let him know who you really are... We could pull that off.”

“Yeah.” Bill's hand found Dipper's, holding it. “We could try that... I'll look around in his mind tonight when he goes to sleep. See if it'll be possible to remove everything about me and what you've been doing.”

“Thank you.” Dipper rested his head against him, yawning. Bill petted his hair, sensing how tired he was.

“You should go to bed. I'll let you know what I've decided in the morning.”

Dipper nodded and got up, stretching. “I need to shower,” he pointed out.

“Oh yes, of course. Go on, get cleaned up.” Bill gave him a pat to the back as he headed upstairs. Once he was gone, Bill turned to float over to the door leading to the gift shop, throwing it open and approaching the vending machine. “So you think you're clever?” he muttered as he typed in a particular sequence of letters and numbers. It swung away from the wall on hidden hinges, and he slipped behind it and into the stairwell beyond. “I must give it to you, more than a year ago I wouldn't be able to get in. But I'm in your reality now. And your protections are nothing to me.” He reached the bottom of the stairs, looked the buttons for the elevator, and pressed one.

 

When Dipper finished his shower, he pulled on comfortable pajama pants and left the tub partly filled, dumping in his bloody clothing. While it soaked, he took the jug of hydrogen peroxide out from under the sink and poured a generous amount in, donned rubber gloves, and started scrubbing the blood out. Then he remembered Bill's body, and went to pull its shirt off. The jeans, he decided to leave; he didn't want to struggle with pulling those off, and with the huge hole in the left knee, Bill would probably just dispose of them anyway.

He slid the gloves off and took the clothing to the bathroom to clean. This took him a few minutes, but he was used to it. The tub was drained and he rinsed everything with clean water before throwing it all in with the other dirty clothes, save for the gloves, which he took back to his room and threw onto the table next to the bed.

As he sank onto the mattress, he picked up his phone and called Mabel. He hasn't spoken with her in a while. She deserved to know what's been going on.

She answered her phone almost immediately with a shout of, “What's up, bro?”

“Hey, sis,” he chuckled. Her cheerful voice always made him feel better. “What are you up to?”

“Welll, I'm lying in bed trying to go to sleep, but then you called me!”

“Oh, I'm sorry. Well, do you have a few minutes?”

“I always have a few minutes for you.”

Trying not to grin like an idiot, Dipper said, “Okay. I wanted to tell you about some stuff that's been happening. Before you... hear rumors.”

She was quiet for a moment, then carefully said, “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, things are still good. The Shack's been as busy as ever, um... and Bill got himself a body.”

“Oh, did he? Wow, how'd he get that?”

“One of our targets owed him their soul. He just took the body for himself instead of leaving it dead.”

“Nice! Um, was this today?”

“Yesterday, actually. Sorry I didn't call sooner, we got kinda busy. But yeah, he has this human body now, and... heh, it's pretty nice.”

“Send me a pic later. Soo, Bill has a physical body now, huh? I bet you're happy about that,” she teased.

“I love him for who he is, not what he looks like,” Dipper retorted.

“Yeah, but Dipper... you couldn't sleep with him when he was a triangle, could you?”

Dipper choked, face heating up. “Mabel!”

She laughed. “Yeah, you can deny it all you want, but I know that was a concern for you. Now it isn't.” She took advantage of Dipper's embarrassed silence to press on, “How was it? Was it good? I bet it was good.”

“Mabel, please, don't be so...” Dipper trailed off, not needing to finish. They both knew just how bluntly sexual Mabel could be, and the young woman was proud of it.

“Answer the question, bro.”

“Ugh, God...” Dipper rubbed his face, then said, “It was great. Please, can we change the subject? I need to tell you something else.”

“All right. Heh, don't be so shy, don't we tell each other everything? I told you all about my first time.”

“And that was _not_ something I wanted to hear.” Not giving her time to say any more, Dipper changed the subject. “Bill has a new body, it's attractive, end of story. We went to collect a debt, may have gotten a little covered in blood, and came back to the Shack like that. We were in a good mood, laughing and stuff, we just... forgot to clean off before coming back. And... Stan saw us when we came in.”

“Oh no. So...”

“He knows.”

“Did you... tell him what you were doing, or did you make something up?”

“We told him the truth. He didn't take it well.”

“No, of course he wouldn't. Dipper...”

“I'm pretty sure he's trying to find a way to get rid of Bill right now. Bill isn't happy with him, since Stan kinda... shot him.”

Mabel gasped. “Stan _shot_ him?!”

“Yeah. Well, the body. In the leg. We fixed it, but it really hurt him.”

“Oh gosh... what's Bill going to do to him?”

“Nothing,” Dipper replied. “At least... I hope he doesn't do anything. He said he would just try to wipe Stan's memory of this. It'll be hard, but he's going to try. Hopefully, he's able to do that.”

“I hope so, but... this is Bill. If Stan hurt him, something tells me he's going to hurt him back...”

Dipper frowned, idly playing with the hair of Bill's body, which laid motionless in front of him. “I don't know, Mabel... Bill isn't here right now, I don't know what he's doing... but he said he doesn't want to upset me, so... maybe he'll hold back. Out of love.”

Mabel didn't seem sure. “Maybe.” She was quiet for a while, then said, “I'm really worried about you. Are you sure you're all right?”

“Besides Stan wanting to exorcise or kill Bill, and Bill probably wanting revenge on Stan? Yeah, fine. Absolutely fine.”

“I wish I could do something to help... But hey, you two are pretty good at taking care of each other. It'll be fine.”

“Sure. Absolutely fine,” Dipper agreed, more to reassure himself than her.

“Maybe try putting some binding spells on Bill to help keep him grounded in reality? Ya know, in case Stan tries to exorcise him.”

Dipper nodded a bit. “Yeah. That might help.”

“Cool. So, uh... anything else you wanted to talk about?”

“No, that was all. I just wanted you to know what's been going on.”

“All right. Thanks for calling. I'm gonna let you go now. You've probably got a lot on your mind.”

“Yeah. I need to go to sleep. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Dipper hung up and returned the phone to the table, and settled down on the bed. He pulled the covers over himself. Though Bill's body was not being possessed right now, Dipper still slid close to it, wanting that extra warmth. It still breathed, still had a beating heart, but it had no consciousness of its own. So it would lie there until Bill needed it again.

Dipper nuzzled into the back of its neck as he thought. What was Bill doing right now? Getting into Stan's mind? Removing his memories? There was no telling.

The human reached out to Bill with his thoughts, and briefly felt the demon's current emotion (was he angry?) before it faded and the other silently acknowledged him.

 _I'm going to bed, are you joining me?_ Dipper asked him.

Bill's voice seemed muffled as he responded, as though he were having to yell at him through several walls. _I'll be up soon. Stan has a ton of spells up, but I can handle it. Go ahead and sleep._

_All right. Goodnight._

_Goodnight._ Bill's voice was distracted.

_I love you._

_Love you too. Go to sleep, kid._

Dipper closed his eyes and snuggled closer to Bill's body, imagining that the other was actually in it right now. Though if Bill was in the body, Dipper probably wouldn't be the big spoon. So he elected to enjoy it while he could. In no time, he had drifted off to sleep.


	32. Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another smut chapter, as requested by some readers. But this chapter has plot in the beginning and end, so hopefully no one minds the smut. Thanks for reading this far, everyone, and enjoy. B)

When Dipper woke up, it was to sunlight coming in through the window. He shifted and felt something shift with him.

“Good morning,” Bill said, with that lower voice that indicated he was in his host body.

Dipper realized he was still laying stretched out along the other's back, and since they were both shirtless, was very aware of just how warm and nice Bill's skin felt against his. He didn't call attention to this, merely sliding an arm over him and smiling when he felt the other's hand take his. Leaning up, he kissed Bill on the cheek. The demon turned his head and smiled, kissing him on the lips.

Laughing, Dipper pushed himself onto his other arm so he could lean more fully over the other and respond better. Bill rolled onto his back, yanking the human down on top of him as they made out.

“H-hey, uh...” Dipper separated and raised his head. He wouldn't have minded just letting that continue, but he had things he wanted to address first. “How'd it go with Stan?”

Bill's smile faded. “Oh. Well, I followed him into the basement last night. He was trying to write a spell that would banish me, and it was actually pretty good. If he got a chance to use it, it would definitely cause trouble... So I knocked him out and got to work on his head.”

“Okay, and?”

Bill shrugged. “I'm pretty sure I got the memory of us out. I spent hours in there. He shouldn't be able to recall anything from last night, or who I am. You can just reintroduce me, and this time, don't let him know who I am.”

Dipper frowned. “What if he does remember, though?”

“Then...” Bill shrugged. “Plan B.”

“What's Plan B?”

“We remove Stan from the equation completely.”

Dipper immediately moved away from him, getting off the bed and backing away. “No. _No_ , Bill.”

Bill raised an eyebrow. “Defying me, huh? I guess I've been too complacent with you. Pine Tree, Stan attacked me. You should be thanking me for not just killing him on the spot.”

Dipper's hands trembled, almost clenching into fists, but then loosening again. “If it turns out he does still remember, we'll... do something else. We can just leave. I don't have to live here, we can always just run away together. Like you talked about before.”

Bill sat up, thinking about that. “Hmm... Us going somewhere else and living together, away from Stan? That could work... but I don't really know if I want to forgive him so easily for shooting me. I feel like I should return the favor. An eye for an eye.”

“He was defending himself, and defending me. We can't hate him for that.”

“I don't care. He attacked me. And this isn't the first time he's provoked me. I want him gone.”

Dipper really wanted to hit him. He wanted to yell at him for being so unsympathetic. Instead, he did neither, just walking back over to the other and sinking into his arms. If he had to beg, so be it. “Please, don't hurt him. We'll leave together, I'll go wherever you want, do whatever you say. Just leave Stan alone. We can even leave today, if you want.”

Bill sighed but held the other closer. “Pine Tree, do you have any idea how hard it is to say no to you? I love you, I really don't want to do something that will upset you, but... this is just how my kind operates. We don't take being attacked well.”

Dipper took in a deep breath, and kissed the other slowly, gently, drawing it out for several moments. Against Bill's lips, he whispered, “Give him one more chance. If he does anything again, then... do what you have to. Otherwise, please, let's just leave and live somewhere else.”

Bill sighed and ruffled Dipper's hair. “I spoil you, kid. Fine, I won't touch him. But if he tries anything, that promise is void. Got it?”

“Got it.” Relieved, Dipper kissed him again, and Bill rolled his eyes before responding.

After a few minutes of just trading kisses and snuggling, Dipper finally asked, “So is Stan still asleep?”

“Yeah, he's probably still lying unconscious on the floor of the basement. I haven't sensed him leave yet. But when he does, I'll know.”

“If you had to guess, how long do you think he'll be out?”

“Hmm... I think I did quite a number on him, he could be out for a few more hours.”

“All right. So... do you think we could... have some personal time while we wait?” Dipper's hand moved down Bill's side, fingers rubbing along his ribs.

Bill smirked and laid back, tugging the other down on top of him. “Of course we can. But since it was your idea, you're leading this time.”

Once upon a time, Dipper may have been nervous about that. But not now. He was completely confident with Bill. With no further hesitation, he met the other's lips in a more passionate kiss, lowering his hand to the other's jeans as he did. He unbuttoned them and pulled the zipper down, then began working the pants down Bill's legs.

Bill reached down to help pull them off. He hissed as material scraped over his left knee, glancing down at the blotchy skin. He furrowed his brow, beginning to reconsider not hurting Stan for this. Then the human was on him again, unabashedly grasping his underwear and pulling those off too, before sitting back to remove his own clothing. Which didn't take long, considering he had fallen asleep in only pajama pants.

Dipper looked down at the other in awe, appreciating how good he looked. Bill grinned back up at him, raising his hand to brush his hair away from his right eye, so both of his brilliant gold eyes were focused on the boy. Dipper dove down to kiss him, and Bill's arms slid around his middle. As nice as it was to just lie together and make out, both wanted much more than that.

Dipper soon shifted to grind down on him, pleased when he gasped in pleasure. Then the other's hips bucked up against him, and he groaned. He reached down to grasp their lengths together in a hand, pumping them. He let out a giddy laugh as Bill's hand covered his, and nuzzled the other as their hips jerked together. Familiar heat raced through his body, pleasure tingling up his spine, and they moaned in unison.

Once they were both hard, Dipper let go and braced both hands on the bed, roughly rutting against the other.

“Pine Tree, fuck!” Bill's voice actually raised in pitch, and he clutched the other tightly as his back arched, rubbing himself just as needfully back against Dipper. “Y-you really want me, don't you?”

“Of course I do, you're the most attractive fucking person I've ever met. And you have a hot body now on top of that. So I just want to put my hands all over you, learn your entire body.” Dipper scraped his nails down Bill's sides, making him shudder. “See what makes you tick.”

“Heh... keep treating me like that, and you won't have any problem making me... tick. I like confidence. Figure the rest out for yourself.”

Dipper stopped and sat back, taking a few moments to appreciate how the other looked laying on his back with his legs apart, face flushed and eyes focused on him.

“That's a good look for you,” he commented, before turning to the table next to the bed, looking for the lube they had used for their first time. Finding it, he picked it up and uncapped it, pouring some out. “Keep your legs open.”

Bill gave him an amused smile. “Of course.”

“You're pretty calm about this. I didn't think you'd let me do this so easily.” Dipper reached down, finding the other's entrance and working a finger inside.

Bill inhaled, eyes closing. “Why wouldn't I?”

“I don't know, because you're like... in charge of me? I kinda figured you wouldn't let me hold you down like this and just have my way... you know?”

“You overthink things. I don't care about that right now, I care about the fact that I'm attracted to you and I'm aroused and you're willing and I want you to hurry up and fuck me.”

Dipper's breath caught in his throat. He quickly pressed in a second finger, pushing them in and out, and Bill moaned, slowly moving into the motions. Not sure exactly where it was, Dipper tried to feel for his sweet spot. He knew he had found it when Bill arched with a cry of, “Fuck yes!” that sent arousal pulsing through him. When the demon recovered, he fixed him with an intense stare. “I want you. Now.”

“Is... is this good enough?” Dipper asked unsurely.

“It'll do, I like it rough anyway. Come on, let me see what you've got!”

Dipper pulled his fingers out, applying some lube to himself and tossing the bottle back toward the table. He mounted the other, who eagerly held his legs apart for him, and reached down to line himself up with Bill's entrance. For a moment, he worried that he might hurt him. Then he realized that if Bill could handle being shot, he could handle this. Besides, the demon was a masochist. Reassured by this, he thrust into him.

“Aah! Dipper, yes!”

Dipper shuddered at the sensation of being consumed, pleasure washing over him, along with tension that seemed to coil in his gut almost immediately. It was almost too much, but he paused to catch his breath, leaning down to rest his elbows on the bed. Both of Bill's legs wrapped around his waist, and he felt the other's arms tighten.

Over the sound of his own heavy breathing, Dipper heard Bill panting as well. The human's face was almost buried against his partner's neck, and he realized with a thrill that Bill was excited. He was excited and enjoying everything that was happening and he _desired_ Dipper. That was all it took for the human to focus and start moving. His rhythm was slow at first, uncertain, but he soon sped up as he got used to it. He moved more quickly, and his motions were hard, making the bed rock.

Bill was soon whimpering into his ear, and the sound turned Dipper on like nothing else. He chuckled at the demon's enthusiasm and lightly kissed his throat.

“P-Pine Tree, please... please, faster,” Bill begged.

Dipper's heart skipped a beat; Bill was _begging_? Not just asking, but actually pleading with him... Well, there was no way he was going to refuse. The human did his best to speed up while still keeping a rhythm, amazed at just how vocal his partner was being. Those noises were getting to him very quickly, he knew he wouldn't last much longer with the other responding as he was. And Bill had to be close too, judging by the way he had started grinding up against him, fingernails clawing into Dipper's back and causing jolts of pain that were almost as good as the pleasure.

Sweat starting to drip from his skin, Dipper shook as he began to lose rhythm, the tension in his groin too much to bear. But he remembered something from their first time, and he decided to put it to use. As he toppled over his edge, he muffled what would have been quite a loud shout by sinking his teeth into Bill's shoulder.

A wordless cry of ecstasy came from the other, who buried his face into Dipper's hair as he thrust desperately up against him, finishing shortly after.

Dipper carefully let go, rubbing his jaw with a hand and looking down at Bill for a response. The other looked exhausted, eyes still closed, mouth open as he panted. But finally, he opened his eyes and said, “Heh, your birthmark isn't the _Big_ Dipper for nothing, huh?”

Dipper slapped his shoulder, and the other laughed. “Hey, shut up.”

“You were marvelous.” Bill shifted, stretching out his arms before returning them to around Dipper. “I loved it. A bit awkward in places, but... you did great for your first time on top.”

“Thanks. I didn't know you could beg like that.”

“Hmmph.” Bill moved an arm away, brushing his hair back out of his face. “Don't let it go to your head.”

Dipper butted his head against him and carefully pulled out. He snuggled up with the other, satisfied and content to just rest in his arms for a while, though he wasn't quite tired enough to go to sleep, considering he had just woken up. And Bill also seemed unwilling to close his eyes again, just slowly nuzzling the other's face, occasionally kissing him.

Finally, Dipper pushed himself back up. “Well, I just showered last night, but... after that, I really need to shower again.”

“Understandable. I'd like one too. Get some of this dried blood off me, ya know?” Bill slid out of bed, and the two went to grab some clothes before heading to the bathroom.

They took a long, warm shower together, playfully scrubbing each other down with soap, washing each other's hair with much more shampoo than necessary, and just generally screwing around.

Once they washed all the suds off themselves, Bill stretched out his left leg and propped it up on the edge of the tub, examining where he had been shot. Dipper knelt down to look at it too, gingerly touching it. It felt swollen.

Bill clicked his tongue. “You fixed the bone well, but did a pretty crude job filling in the hole that the bullet had left. Things aren't exactly... grown in correctly. But I should be able to fix it.” He reached down to put his hand over it, closing his eyes. A blue glow came from his palm, illuminating his skin. A few moments passed with no discernible difference, until Bill sighed softly and the glow disappeared. He pushed on the skin and nodded. “Much better.”

Dipper touched it too. It felt like the swelling had gone down. The skin was still discolored, but there wasn't really anything that could be done about that. He stood up, and Bill put his foot back down.

“Did that take care of the pain?” he asked.

“Yeah. It doesn't hurt anymore.” Bill messed with his hair. “Still, what you did yesterday helped me a lot. Without your quick magic, I may have had to get this leg removed. Thank you.”

“Heh. No problem.” Dipper moved closer to hug him, resting his head against his chest. Bill idly stroked his hair, resting his chin on him. They stood together for a while under the shower head, until the water began to cool and then turn cold. With a shiver, Bill pulled away, turning off the shower. Dipper gave him a sheepish smile and wiped some of the water off himself before getting out.

Once they were both dried and dressed, Dipper leaned against the counter and watched as Bill skillfully applied his eyeliner. He kept the same design he had left yesterday, except the lines looked even neater this time. He checked himself out, then placed the pencil down. “Perfect.” He grinned at Dipper. “Well, your uncle is awake now, he just went into the kitchen and started cooking. Want to get breakfast?”

Dipper nodded. “Sure.”

They headed downstairs and into the kitchen. Stan greeted them, looking a bit tired, but otherwise like he normally did. “Hey, Dipper, hey...” He trailed off, staring at Bill. His expression was strange, as if he recognized him from somewhere, but wasn't sure where. “Uh, who are you?”

Dipper felt a small thrill that Stan didn't know him. The memory erase had worked. He could start over. “Stan, this is William. My... boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend?” Stan lifted his brows as Bill's arm casually draped around Dipper's shoulder, but he shrugged and went back to scrambling eggs. “Well, I didn't think you swung that way, but okay. Hello, William.”

“Good morning, sir,” Bill said politely.

“You don't have to call me sir, I'm not that old.”

Dipper laughed. “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

Stan snorted, but with good humor. “I just feel weird when people call me that, ya know?”

“I understand, I just think it's more polite,” Bill replied. “Those are the manners befitting a gentleman.”

“Oh, a gentleman, are ya? Well, you can keep your 'sir' talk to yourself, okay?”

Bill chuckled. “Sure thing, man. What should I call you?”

“You can just call me by my name. Stan.”

“Stan. All right.” Bill followed Dipper to the table, taking a seat.

“Your boyfriend's odd,” Stan commented, glancing at Bill again. “But if you like him, who am I to judge?”

Dipper only smiled at him. “Yeah, he's odd... but then again, so am I.”

“Can't argue with that. Do you like scrambled eggs, William?”

Bill nodded, looking smug. “Sure, I don't mind them.”

“Great, because that's what you're getting. We're having scrambled eggs and toast. I forgot to buy bacon.”

“That's all right, Stan,” Dipper said, trading an amused look with Bill. He took advantage of the lull in conversation to think to the other, _It worked. He doesn't remember you._

_Looks like it. But I wouldn't let my guard down just yet. Your uncle is awfully clever. Being insufferably smart runs in the Pines family. He could be pretending._

_I know my uncle. He isn't pretending._

Bill only hummed and tapped lightly on the table. _We'll see._


	33. The Storm

Breakfast went by smoothly. Stan talked to Bill, asking him about his career and hobbies. And Bill wove a flawless backstory of being an aspiring journalist who moved to Gravity Falls to write stories on the many fascinating creatures that lived here, and get to know the rich history of the town and its inhabitants. He was so convincing that even Dipper almost believed him. He talked of college as if he had been there, spoke of his old job working retail, with all the grievances that came with such a job. He said that he made money off short stories he submitted to various magazines, and he got some more income from letting various companies have advertising space on his personal blog.

Dipper was impressed at how easily Bill could lie, and how honest he could sound when speaking. He nodded in agreement as Bill let Stan in on his secret passion of bird watching, even as he knew that Bill would much rather shoot birds out of the sky with magic.

By the time they were done eating, Stan was convinced that Bill was an outgoing, hardworking young man, whose quirky but polite mannerisms mixed perfectly with Dipper's. As he got up to take his dishes to the sink, he first reached over to shake Bill's hand.

“You're really something, kid. Sounds like you have a busy life. Take care of my grandnephew, huh? He's the only one I've got. Well, that I know of, anyway.” He went over to the sink and tossed the stuff in, and returned to the table so he could clap Dipper on the shoulder. “You really got yourself a keeper. He's kinda weird, but it's like your kind of weird. It's a good thing.”

“Thanks, we've really hit it off since we met,” Dipper replied, glad that Stan was believing all this. Though... was it just the light, or did Stan seem a bit tense? He leaned his head over slightly, and Stan blinked, the look disappearing. He stepped back.

“I've kinda got a headache today, so I'm gonna go lie down. You two take care of yourselves, all right?”

They nodded, and he left the room.

Dipper looked at Bill, who got up. He collected his and Dipper's dishes, took them to the sink, and dumped them in. Not wanting to see them dirty, he put the plug in, poured some soap onto the plates, and turned the water on. As it filled, he said, “I think he remembers.”

“What? He had no idea who you were, look at all those questions he asked you. He's convinced you're a journalist and blogger.”

“No, he's not. I've been around humans a long time. I've messed with a lot of memories. Trust me, I can tell when someone wasn't affected by what I've done.” Bill shifted one of the plates around, distracted. “It's strange... When I left his mind, I was sure he had forgotten me. Very sure. But there was something in his eyes when he first looked at me... Something he hid very quickly, and it didn't show again for the rest of the conversation... But it felt off. There was just an aura to him.”

“I think you're just too desperate to find a reason to attack him,” Dipper replied, walking over to the sink. “He doesn't remember. If he did, I think he would have tried to do something.”

“If he remembers, then he remembers me knocking him out. He'll know what I did. Of course he wouldn't incriminate himself. He's gonna lie low... and then he's going to strike.” Bill shook his head. “I'll try to look into his thoughts later. That way I'll know for sure.”

“Okay... But I still think you're looking too hard into this.” Dipper gave him a playful nudge, which Bill returned. Dipper pushed him a little harder. So Bill grabbed the sprayer and hosed Dipper down with it.

“Hey!” Dipper held up his hands to try and block the water, but Bill kept holding down the trigger, until he was soaked. “Bill!”

Laughing, Bill let go and put it back, turning the water off. As he began scrubbing a plate, Dipper jumped on him and hugged him, letting the water soak into his clothes. He struggled.

“Hey, stop!”

“Now you know how I feel!”

Bill let go of the plate and turned to tussle with him, and Dipper didn't stop until he managed to splash water onto the other out of revenge. Then he let Bill shove him off, merely laughing about it.

“Annoying human,” Bill scoffed, but he was obviously entertained. He returned to washing the dishes, and Dipper turned on the water in the other side of the sink so he could rinse them off. He kept giving the other little smiles, though. No matter how irritated he may get at Bill... he still loved him. And that was never going to change.

 

After a few days of Stan showing no suspicion toward Bill, they decided that he really had forgotten, and were able to relax more. They still went out at night for debt collection or magic practice, but made sure they looked normal when they returned. And so far, Stan has said nothing to them. He even began talking about possibly hiring Bill to help out in the Shack, since Melody will be taking more time off as she got closer to her expected delivery date.

Bill responded with interest in that; he was going to be staying with Dipper, might as well work in the same building. He said he could still keep up with his journalism, but he could do that online. Technology was amazing, and all.

When Friday came back around, Dipper and Bill decided to make good use of it, staying out all night, just teleporting around and taking on Bill's enemies, some of which haven't even made deals with him, he just didn't like them for one reason or another. Dipper never questioned it, just fighting anyone Bill wanted him to. They worked well together, though they were still covered with bruises and cuts by the time they were done. They took some time to heal each other, and once all the evidence of the past night was gone, they returned to Gravity Falls.

The Sun was rising as they walked in through the door near the staircase, and Bill expressed a desire for a can of soda. Dipper agreed with this; some sugary soda would be delicious right now. They walked through the living room.

Dipper felt a sense of foreboding the moment his foot hit the carpet, but before he could figure out what was alarming him, Bill was letting out a screech of surprise and pain, and Dipper was hit by an unseen force that threw him across the room. He grunted when he hit the wall and rolled down to the floor, but he quickly picked himself back up and spun to look for Bill.

The demon was standing rigid in the middle of the room, arms straight at his sides and a look of hate on his face. And around his feet were several glowing red circles, the outermost having a diameter of almost six feet. These circles were filled with runes, and Dipper recognized them immediately. It was a binding circle. For demons.

“Bill!” He ran toward him, but when his foot hit the outside circle, he was thrown back again. When he got up, he approached it more cautiously, circling it and reading the symbols. “Who drew this...” But even as he said it, he realized who must have put it there.

“Step aside, Dipper,” Stan quietly ordered from a corner of the room. Dipper whipped toward him, and he stepped forward, holding a book. Dipper's eyes widened as he recognized it as Journal 1. He hasn't looked at that one in years, he had given it back to Stan once he was done collecting information from it.

“Stan, what are you doing?” he asked, glancing at Bill as the demon struggled in the circle, but he was unable to take even a step.

“I told you I would get rid of that demon,” Stan said, looking down at the journal. “Now get out of my way so I can do this.”

“How did you... He...” Dipper had no idea how to respond to this.

“He tried to erase my memory of him, yes,” Stan said. “And it worked. But apparently before he did it, I wrote a note to myself explaining everything, and what he might try to do. All I remember is waking up on the floor of the basement about a week ago, with no idea why I was there, only that I should check my pocket. That's where I found the note.”

Bill was glaring at him with a hatred that Dipper has never seen before. “That was ingenious, Stan. I fucking hate you for it.”

“I don't care about your opinion of me. Apparently you've been manipulating Dipper and didn't want me to know about it. Well, I'm not letting you continue. I pretended not to know you so you'd let your guard down, and did research into how I could get rid of you. You walked right into my trap, and now I'm going to kill you.”

Bill hissed. “You can't kill me, you don't have the magical ability for that. No matter what chants you do, no matter the runes you write, you do _not_ have the capability to kill me.”

“Either way, this will get rid of you. Maybe it won't kill you, but as long as you don't ever come near my nephew or me again, I don't care what happens to you.” Stan began reading. “Demon, et ego repellam te. Ad mentem, unde ortae.”

The lines of the circle pulsed a brighter, blood red, and Bill jerked, eyes wide with what was almost fear before he narrowed them again. “You're making a mistake,” he warned.

Dipper tried to pull the book from Stan, but the man wrestled him away, continuing to read. It seemed like he had the words memorized, and a blue hue was beginning to surround him. “Esto ibi in perpetuum, et non revertetur-”

Dipper saw Bill shaking and did the only thing he could think of. He whipped his knife out of his pocket and pressed the blade against Stan's throat. “Stop right there.”

Stan stopped talking, and Bill slowly stopped shaking, straightening up and letting out a soft sigh of relief. Judging by the sweat on his brow, the incantation had actually been hurting him.

“Put the book down.” Dipper slowly took the book away from Stan with his other hand, closing it and sliding it into an inside pocket of his jacket. “Now, here's what we're going to do.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bill glance around the circle and start muttering something. Confident that Bill would have a counterspell out in no time, Dipper continued to address Stan. “You're going to walk away. You're going to forget about all this on your own. Or at least, never bother us again. Or... well, something tells me you're getting on Bill's last nerve.”

“Are you threatening me?” Stan demanded.

“Yeah, I guess I am threatening you. I don't want to hurt you. But Bill will. You've already made him mad by shooting him last week.”

Stan's brows furrowed. “I shot him?”

“Yes, and it hurt!” Bill yelled back. “And where did you learn how to make this circle? It's pissing me off!” He swore and began muttering a different spell.

“Let him out of it,” Dipper ordered.

Stan sighed, and slowly leaned back from Dipper's knife. “Okay. Put that away, and I'll let him out.”

Dipper gave him a distrustful look, and lowered the knife. He kept it clenched in his hand, though. “Let him out.”

Stan stepped forward, making eye contact with Bill, who growled at him. He narrowed his eyes, took in a breath, and started to speak. Dipper listened carefully, and immediately realized he was not saying anything close to a circle dispersing spell. What he was actually saying was more akin to a-

“No!” Dipper got in front of him, giving him a push to break his concentration, but the damage was done. Bill howled with agony and fell to his knees, body convulsing in an entirely unnatural way. Thinking fast, Dipper turned and yelled a counterspell that he hoped would work. To his relief, it dispersed the magic Stan had used, and Bill managed to struggle to his feet. A few more words, and Dipper broke the circle, allowing the demon to make his way forward.

Bill was panting, but his eyes were alight with fury. “You'll pay for that, Stan,” he growled. “I'm done with your shit.”

“Bill, please,” Dipper started, but Bill grabbed his shoulder and threw him out of the way.

“No, Pine Tree! I told you that if he tried again, I would kill him. He wants to take on the bull? Then he's going to get the horns.” Bill's arms flared up with magical fire as he advanced on Stan, who wisely backed away. He tried to say something, perhaps a spell, but Bill struck him across the mouth, and he quickly shut up.

Dipper grabbed Bill's arm, ignoring how the fire bit at his skin; it wasn't hurting him much. Bill wouldn't allow it to hurt him. “Come on, let's just leave. We don't have to attack him, we can just...”

“He attacked me! I'm not letting him go!”

Dipper kept trying to pull him away, and Bill turned to grab him, staring into his eyes. “Do you have any idea what spell he just used on me? Do you have any idea how close he came to _banishing_ me?! He almost tore me out of this body! Imagine someone taking claws and trying to rip your heart out. That's what it felt like. It was a horrible pain, and he deserves to suffer for inflicting it on me.”

Dipper's hands found Bill's arms. “Is there... nothing I can do to make you change your mind?” He could try to fight with him, but knew he wouldn't win. Bill was more powerful than him. All he could do was ask.

“Nothing.” Bill let go of him, advancing on Stan again. Dipper caught hold of him again, but was merely dragged along as Bill walked. He pulled and struggled with him, even using magic to try and strengthen his muscles, but Bill's own magic just shrugged it off. The aura of anger coming off the other was almost visible, and it was making Dipper shudder just looking at him. The fire on Bill's arms was growing hotter and hotter, even beginning to burn Dipper, and the air was shimmering with heat.

Stan's back hit a wall, and that seemed to snap him out of his daze. He ran toward the other side of the room, and like a dog catching sight of its prey, Bill broke into a run as well. And he was much faster. Stan was just starting to reach the kitchen when Bill's hands caught him around the neck and yanked him back.

Dipper was almost sobbing as he continued pleading with Bill to let him go, hitting him, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt him too badly, and Bill was ignoring him, dragging Stan back into the living room.

The magical heat was reaching a fever pitch, and Dipper was sweating, feeling faint. It was hard to breathe, and he could see the skin of Bill's body beginning to blister. But if it bothered the demon, he didn't show it.

“I could kill you so quickly,” Bill said quietly. Somehow, the quiet tone was even more terrifying than when he was yelling. And he was no longer putting off that heat. “But... no. I think I'll let you suffer. Like you let me suffer.” His hands passed over Stan, and then he stood up.

“Hey, what- what'd you do?” Stan demanded, expression strained, but muscles only giving a small twitch.

“Paralyzing spell,” Bill replied. He backed away from him, giving him a twisted smile. “Ya know, the TV you've got in here is very nice. New, isn't it? Yes, I seem to recall you mentioning that you got it a few months ago. Well, I'm sure you noticed that its plug had three prongs on it. Yet the outlet only has spaces for the two-pronged plugs. You so cleverly cut off the third prong and plugged it in, thinking that would solve all your problems.”

Dipper looked over at the TV. The TV that was almost always on, if only just on a static-filled channel. And right now, it was on one such channel, and he could swear he smelled burning electronics, and see the air just above it shimmering. Or was he just imagining that?

“But the wiring in the Shack is old. And that little trick is now preventing the TV from being properly grounded.” Bill's voice took on an unsettling amused tone. “Electrical fires are so common... Guess you weren't as smart as you thought you were.” He grabbed Dipper around the middle. “No one will suspect this to be anything but a terrible accident.”

The moment he stopped speaking, the TV went dark and then burst into flame. The pungent and recognizable scent of burning electronics was definitely present now, and the fire quickly spread down the TV stand and to the carpet, beginning to lick up the wall. The plastic around the screen was already melting and splashing to the floor, only spreading the flames faster.

Before the fire could reach them, Bill tightened his hold and focused, and the two were suddenly outside, almost in the forest. Dipper strained against his hold, trying to get back to the house, shouting Stan's name and crying, as he saw the glow of fire. He could still make it, he could still put it out, he just had to get away from Bill.

“Forget it, Pine Tree,” Bill said harshly, his grip not loosening. “This is for the best.”

Dipper was in a panic, but he managed to focus enough to think of a spell that could free him, starting to mutter it. Bill covered his mouth, and he instead thought the words. There was a burst of light, and Bill's hands flew back from him. Bill swore and massaged his wrists, and Dipper took off running.

“Pine Tree! Damn it!” Bill's hand flew up, and a bolt of blue magic struck Dipper in the back. It knocked him forward onto his stomach, and he bit his tongue as his chin hit the ground.

By the time the boy managed to stumble back up, Bill had caught up to him and was wrapping both arms around his waist, dragging him back again. This time, when Dipper tried to repeat the spell, he found that nothing happened. His eyes widened as he realized none of his magic was working. He couldn't teleport, couldn't move anything around him, couldn't even feel magic, nothing.

“What did you do?” he screamed.

“I put a temporary magic canceling spell on you,” Bill explained. “So you don't make a big mistake.”

“Stan is going to die, you have to let me go, Bill please, please don't keep me here, I have to save him, Bill! _Bill!”_

Bill looked pained, but his expression was set. “No. Sorry. But you'll get over him.”

Tears slipping down his face, Dipper collapsed onto his knees. Bill knelt down with him, pulling him into his arms and holding him. Dipper kept his face against him until he heard the sound of cracking, and he instinctively turned to look at the Mystery Shack. The fire had spread fast, eating through the old wood easily, and sections were already falling off. He could tell from here that the entire living room must be consumed by now. The kitchen windows revealed that the flames had reached that room, and they were climbing up the outside of the building as well.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to rage at Bill, attack him and punish him for doing this, but he was mentally exhausted. He could only bring himself to sob brokenly in the other's arms, staring at the house through tear-streaked vision as it crumbled more and more, hardly noticing when Bill gently tugged his phone out of his pocket and called 911.


	34. Aftershocks

Because of the Mystery Shack's rather rural location, it was going to take a while for the various emergency responders to get to them. Bill made use of this time by comforting Dipper, slowly managing to calm him down. He got him to stand back up, though he kept holding him. When the boy gave him a sullen glare, Bill leaned in to kiss his forehead. The only response he got was Dipper's brows furrowing. The human didn't seem to be angry, exactly, but he was definitely agitated.

“Are you mad?” Bill asked, just to make sure.

Dipper exhaled loudly and looked away from him, eyes landing on the burning building, and quickly looking in the other direction so he wouldn't have to see it. “Of course I'm mad. But there's no point in yelling about it, is there? It won't change anything.”

Bill nodded slightly, and played with some of Dipper's hair. “I'm not responsible for the fire, you know,” he said quietly. “It was going to happen anyway. I just... altered the timing of it a bit. So there'd be less suspicion on us. With the TV truly starting the fire, the cops and firefighters will be able to figure that out, and they won't blame us at all. They'll chalk it up to an accident, and be on their way.”

“We could have just left. You didn't have to do that to Stan. He... he didn't deserve...” Dipper trailed off, looking at the Shack again. He couldn't help it; as horrible as it was, he couldn't look away, knowing that his great uncle was still trapped in there. The roof and upper floor had already fallen in over the living room. He knew there would be no surviving.

“Dipper, he hurt me,” Bill said firmly. “He hurt me very badly.” He let go of Dipper to hold out his own arms, looking at the blistered skin from his earlier magic. He gave them a wave and began healing them. “Being caught in a trap hurts enough, it's like... hmm, what's a good analogy... It'd be like if you were suddenly strung up in a net made of barbed wire. If you stay perfectly still, you'll avoid too much damage, but... little parts of it will still stab into you and hurt. It was just like that. Confining, uncomfortable, painful. I'm game for pain, but not that kind.” Bill finished healing his arms and gently took Dipper's hands, looking at the scorch marks on them; his magic had burnt him as well. If the cops see that later, they could be suspicious. He worked healing magic on Dipper's hands as well.

“It really hurt that bad, huh?” Dipper asked quietly.

“Yeah. I've felt worse, but... it was pretty bad. And then, the one he did after? Trying to banish me? He nearly exorcised me from this body. It was a strong piece of magic, and it was agonizing. I can't even describe it, like... like literally trying to rip me out, as if with giant talons... Better pray to whoever you believe in that you never experience such a feeling.” Bill let go of Dipper's hands once they were unblemished again. “He intended to kill me. So I returned the favor. I just happened to succeed. Surely you understand that.”

Dipper sighed, letting the other hug him, but not responding to it. He kept his arms limply at his sides. “I understand. That doesn't mean I like it.”

“Will you... ever forgive me?”

Dipper was quiet for a while, eyes staring off into the distance. Until they heard approaching sirens, and his eyes refocused. “Forgive? Probably not. Accept? ...Yeah. Eventually.”

“That'll do.” Bill pressed a small kiss to his temple. “Just wanted to make sure you weren't going to... I dunno, run away and leave me.”

“I wouldn't do that. I'm not allowed to do that. At the core of all this, I'm still yours. You still own me. Nothing is going to change that.”

“True, but you've seen countless times how forgetful humans can be about the deals they make.”

“I haven't forgotten anything. The rest of my life is yours. I can't exactly serve you if I run away. So... I'm staying.”

Bill rubbed his head against him affectionately. “But do you still love me?”

Dipper was quiet for a moment, looking at the road leading to the Shack, able to see red and blue lights now. As a police car came around the bend, he said, “I can't answer that right now. I don't want to think about that right now.”

Bill let go of him and backed away. “I understand.” He could hear Dipper's thoughts clear as day, after all. His feelings for Bill were the last thing on his mind right now. But what he could glean was that the boy still felt for him. He was just hurt and betrayed, and needed to be left alone. So Bill would give him that space. He knew Dipper would come back to him eventually.

The car stopped close to them and two police officers got out. Dipper recognized one as Sheriff Durland. The other was a newer officer that Dipper wasn't as familiar with. While Durland was still very close to Blubs, Gravity Falls's old sheriff had moved to take up the position in a neighboring county. The two still got together often.

The officers looked at the fire with concern before approaching Dipper and Bill.

“What happened, Dipper?” Durland asked, letting the worry show in his eyes; he's known the Pines for years, and like many residents, was quite fond of the twins.

Dipper took in a breath, glanced at the Shack, and opened his mouth to explain. But he just couldn't talk about it. He was too distressed to think of a convincing lie, and looking at the fire was only upsetting him more.

Luckily, Bill was a quick thinker. He pulled Dipper into his arms, gave him a comforting pat to the back, and said, “Oh, officers, it's terrible!” He put on a convincingly upset tone, and with a simple mental command that most naturally-born humans struggled to pull off, he made his eyes brim with tears. “We were out walking in the woods, and when we got back...”

Dipper looked up as he heard the other's voice actually get choked up. That was going to make him cry again. Damn.

“W-we saw the fire from a ways off, but... we didn't realize it was the Shack until we got out of the trees. By then, it was... t-too late, way too late. We wouldn't have been able to get in, it was covered with fire. So I called 911.” Bill raised a hand to wipe his face off, sniffing. Dipper had to wipe his eyes off too. The demon was  _good_. 

The new officer, whose name tape identified him as Holland, was writing this down in a notebook.

“Are either of you hurt? Did you try to get near it at all?” Durland asked.

They shook their heads.

“We stayed back,” Bill said.

“Sheriff, I...” Dipper started, turning everyone's attention to him. He swallowed, gathering his thoughts, and said, “Stan was at home when we left earlier. I... haven't seen him. He's not outside anywhere, but... his car is here. He's... still in there somewhere.” His voice broke, and Durland quickly ran back to his vehicle, calling whoever he could to try and get the other responders to get there faster.

More cop cars arrived, and then an ambulance. And finally, a fire engine screamed into the yard, two tanker trucks bringing up the rear. The firefighters wasted no time in hooking the hoses up to these tankers and dousing the fire. Since there were no hydrants or natural water sources in the immediate area, it was the only option they had.

The crew inside the ambulance all got out, coming over to speak with the police, Dipper, and Bill, since they couldn't get into the house yet.

Their primary concern was to make sure neither of the men had suffered any burns themselves, but they were quickly assured that Dipper and Bill hadn't even gone near the fire. So all the paramedics could do were ask questions about what was happening and wait until they could get inside to retrieve the house's inhabitant.

Dipper sniffed when one used the wording, “retrieve the body” and turned to seek comfort from Bill, then remembered that Bill was the one responsible for all this, and stepped away from him, wiping at his eyes and trying to keep it together on his own. Noticing his distress, one of the paramedics asked him if he needed to sit down. He shook his head, quietly replying, “I'm all right. Just... there's no way he survived, he... by now, he's...” He choked up and had to turn away, not wanting them to see him cry.

He heard one run away, and a few moments later, the person returned with a blanket, gently draping it around his shoulders. He accepted it, giving them a small smile. They patted his hand reassuringly before joining in with their coworkers' conversation.

Dipper drew the blanket further around himself as he looked at the Shack again, seeing that the deluge of high pressure water was causing the roof and walls to cave in even more. He visibly flinched as he saw support beams fall right over the living room, and water began pouring out the first floor windows and breaking the remnants of the doors completely away.

Finally, the fire was quelled and the firefighters were able to run inside. Smoke still drifted off the wreckage, and a few small areas still flickered, but most of the flames were gone.

Dipper waited anxiously, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he resisted the urge to run inside too. He had to remind himself that it was still dangerous, parts of the building could still collapse, and he wouldn't be able to breathe in the smoke.

After a few minutes that seemed to last like hours, one of the firefighters came back out, covered in soot. He pulled his helmet off and removed his respirator so he could speak more clearly. “The living room seems to be where the fire originated. Around the television, most likely. It definitely showed signs of being the cause. But we're going to investigate further to make sure.”

“Do you think it was an electric fire, maybe?” Bill asked worriedly.

“Could be. Again, we don't want to jump to conclusions. We're going to have a team look at it.”

Dipper finally decided to speak up. He had to know about Stan. “Did... did you find anyone inside?”

The man gave him a pitying look. “There was a single body. Male, elderly from what we could tell. He didn't survive.”

Dipper's throat constricted, and he paced with agitation and misery, wanting so badly to hold someone and cry, but unable to touch Bill right now. He didn't want anyone to touch him. The depression was subsiding into numbness, becoming a kind of emptiness somewhere in his heart. Deep down, he felt an urge to yell and run and attack something, but he knew that was pointless. That wouldn't change anything. He wished he could teleport somewhere far away from here, find an open field or tall mountain where he could just scream and cry until he couldn't anymore. But thanks to Bill, he had no magic. So he did nothing but move, reaching up to tug on his hair, eyes squeezed shut as he fought the tears.

The sight broke Bill's heart. He glanced at the house, at Dipper, and then over at the emergency responders. “Thank you for letting us know. I'll try to calm him down.”

The firefighter walked over to Dipper, watching him somberly before saying, “We're going to bring your uncle over to where the EMTs can get him. You may not want to see what he looks like, but once he's in the ambulance, they'll let you ride with them to the hospital.”

Dipper stopped and wiped his eyes off as he opened them, moving past Bill's offered arms and toward the house. “No, I... I can handle it. I want to see him.”

The man looked at him sadly, shrugged, and led the way. They were followed closely by a couple paramedics wheeling a gurney, which sported a tarp but not much else. They already knew that the person they were retrieving was undeniably dead. The firefighters had already confirmed a lack of pulse or any other life signs. Apparently the body was burnt almost beyond recognition. They had found him in the living room and determined that he was caught in the heart of the fire. Most likely had been asleep when it started, they guessed. Perhaps woke up and tried to run once it reached him, but he couldn't get far enough because of the smoke and had collapsed. Of course these were all just guesses; a more thorough examination would have to be done to confirm this.

Dipper wasn't able to go into the house, but he was able to see Stan as two firefighters carried him out. As soon as he caught sight of him, he screamed and stumbled back. He was immediately caught by Bill, but he was too horrified to care. He felt the other's arms go around him, sheltering him, trying to turn him away, but he kept staring at the blackened corpse, struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. The shape of the skeleton was visible in several places, bone peaking through, the skin completely stripped away except in a few spots, everything black and dark red, swollen, blistering. There were no eyes in those sunken sockets framed by warped wire that used to be glasses, barely any flesh where the nose should be, and what remained of his clothes had been charred into the same color and texture as the rest of him and looked completely inseparable from his skin.

There wasn't really any blood; all that had been boiled away, creating those macabre dark red pustules all over his body.

Then the smell hit. Dipper felt his stomach lurch, and pulled away from Bill just in time as he threw up. He fell onto his knees as he did, hands hitting the grass as he puked again. He raised a hand to cover his nostrils, gagging; the scent was horrid. It was a mixture of aromas, part of it almost like that cooked meat smell you would expect to find at a barbecue, but then there was the acrid scent of charcoal, burnt hair, metal, and more that was just... indescribable. But it was nauseating and putrid, and something told him that he was never going to forget that smell.

He was quickly helped up and held as he dry heaved, but he didn't really have anything left to regurgitate. Stan was quickly lowered onto a gurney, covered with the tarp, and wheeled away. One of the paramedics promised to grab Dipper a bottle of water to rinse his mouth out.

“N-no, I'm fine,” he said weakly, hurrying to keep up with the gurney. He cast unsure looks at the cops; another car had arrived, and he was sure there would be more. Maybe they had more questions for him. But he decided that they could handle this. Emergency management would be set up, an incident commander would take control, and they'll take care of it. For now, he was accompanying the body to the hospital. He was sure there would be a lot to take care of, he would have to get his parents to help, particularly his dad, as one of the next of kin... there would need to be hospital bills, funeral arrangements, the handling of Stan's assets... he wasn't looking forward to the stress this would bring. He was already so anxious and worn out that he felt like he would faint. His hands were shaking as he climbed up into the back of the ambulance.

There were only a few chairs in here, but he chose one as close to the gurney as he could get and collapsed into it, leaning his head back against the wall and pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes.

There was a light brushing against his shoulder, and he sensed that it was Bill who had sat next to him. Some of his magic must be returning now. But he felt no urge to use it. The demon didn't touch him, just sitting there with his hands in his lap and looking straight ahead. Dipper didn't even open his eyes until he was given a bottle of water, which he used to wash the taste of bile out of his mouth. He hesitantly sipped on it, but the smell had been mostly concealed by the tarp, so he was able to keep it down.

The EMTs all soon joined them, two getting in the cab while the rest stayed in the back, the doors were shut, and the vehicle began moving. Dipper sighed heavily at the surprisingly gentle sway, even as it picked up speed. Vaguely, he heard its sirens shrieking overhead. All the stress and exhaustion finally hit him, and he slumped over against Bill, who took the bottle from him before he dropped it. Then Bill wrapped an arm around the other to support him, thinking to him,  _Are you going to be okay?_

Dipper sighed, and Bill could feel the resentment coming off him, the dull anger that was only tempered by how tired he was.  _No. I'm not going to be okay after what you did._

_It was necessary. In time, you'll move on._

_Be glad that I'm bound to you, otherwise I would kill that body of yours and abandon you, you triangular shitstain._

Bill lifted his brows at the insult accompanied by a flare of hate, but he understood how upset the other was. He wasn't going to let himself be offended by it.  _I know you must be hurting. So say what you want. I don't care. Just know that I really did not want to have to do this to someone you loved. If he hadn't insisted on attacking me, well... things would be different._

Dipper's mood quickly declined back into what was almost apathy, but had an undercurrent of distress.  _If I had just warned him... maybe this wouldn't have happened, if I had just told him to stay away from you... He might still be alive..._

_Your uncle was as stubborn as you. He wouldn't have left me alone. It would have taken some really good lying on your part to convince him not to distrust me. Hey, listen. Everyone dies. He was almost to his time anyway. I just gave him a push. Better than living until you're eighty and being in so much pain you have to constantly drug yourself to feel okay, yeesh, what a headache._

Dipper closed his eyes, just wanting to rest.  _You wouldn't understand, I guess... You don't have family members you care about._

Bill's hand brushed gently through Dipper's hair.  _Wrong. I have you._

That almost made him smile, but his heart wasn't in it. He just whined softly and thought, _Bill, please, I... I can't talk anymore, I... I just need time to adjust to this._

_No problem. Adjust, then. Take all the time you need._ Bill didn't say anything more to him, and felt him shift to lean more fully on him. He moved a few different times, clearly too agitated to really lay down despite how tired he was. Bill watched this morosely, and noticed that the paramedics were also showing sympathy and concern for the young man.

Sighing, Bill moved a bit and pulled Dipper over to lay across his lap, and leaned down to kiss his temple. With a dash of his magic, he forced the other to finally fall asleep. The last thing he heard from Dipper's mind before sleep claimed him was,  _God dammit Bill._

Bill chuckled; that had almost sounded like Dipper's normal, snarky tone. He rested his arms across him.  _You need the sleep, kid. I'll keep you safe until then._ His eyes lingered on the tarp, and he thought about the charred body that laid underneath. He reflected on the look in Dipper's eyes when he had first seen the Shack burning, how he had cried for his uncle, and felt a quivering in his chest. He refused to feel sad, instead turning it into anger. He thumped his fist against the counter next to him, ignoring the alarmed looks he drew.  _Damn it, Dipper, I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you._

But Dipper slept on, blissfully unaware of Bill's frustration. Bill almost envied him. He gave the paramedics a reassuring smile, and then looked down at his partner, idly curling strands of his hair around. He wasn't looking forward to the coming weeks. For the first time in hundreds of years, he vaguely found himself wishing he had shown restraint.


	35. Recovery

The events of the next several days were a hazy blur to Dipper. He vaguely recalled calling his sister, parents, and friends about what had happened, each time breaking into sobs until Bill took his hand, which would somehow both irritate and calm him, at least enough for him to stop crying so he could talk.

The family came immediately and Dipper's parents took over the majority of the legal affairs and funeral arrangements, much to his relief.

Mr. and Mrs. Pines, Soos and Melody, and all their other friends and acquaintances believed what the media told them about the incident. Investigators had confirmed beyond a doubt that it was an electric fire. The television's grounding plug had been purposely tampered with to make it fit in the outlet, causing the electronics to catch fire. The fire had spread while Stan slept. Common accident. One of those tragedies that just happened sometimes. It would be murmured about between coworkers and family members as they shook their heads sadly, and they would comment on the foolishness that really any of them could be privy to themselves, and then they would move on like people always do.

But Mabel never believed it. She had known from Dipper's tone as he talked to her exactly who was at fault, and as soon as she arrived at the hotel he was staying at, she had strode right past his open arms and swiftly clocked Bill in the face with a punch that she threw her entire weight into. He went down, a pained groan escaping him as his eyes closed and his body went limp, landing heavily on the floor.

“Mabel!” Dipper shouted, grabbing her to hold her back if necessary, but she seemed to have gotten what she wanted. She instead reached to grasp his shoulders, then sides, checking him over frantically.

“Are you okay, has he hurt you at all?” she asked.

“I'm fine, he hasn't hurt me, Mabel what the hell?”

“Yeah, what the hell, Shooting Star?” Bill agreed, appearing next to Dipper in his demon form. “You just knocked my body out cold. I can't even wake it up. Color me impressed.”

“There's more where that came from,” she said, flexing her arm. “That's for Stan.”

He lifted his brow. “I should have known. Well, thank you for probably breaking my body's nose.” He turned and floated down to it, looking at the blood before beginning to heal the damage.

Mabel's angry expression faded, and she buried her face into Dipper's chest, sniffing and hugging him close. “D-Dipper, I can't believe... Stan is...”

He hugged her back, resting his head against hers. “I know, I'm so sorry, I should have... should have stopped him somehow, but... he disabled my magic, I couldn't do anything, and Stan had... had really hurt him, I told you about how he shot him, and then... when he tried to exorcise him, it hurt him really bad then... He wanted revenge, and I just couldn't stop him.”

When she lifted her head, her cheeks were streaked with tears. “I-I understand that you couldn't stop him, he's powerful, just... I can't believe he would do this, I thought he loved you, why... why would he...”

“I do love him,” Bill spoke up. “I didn't want to hurt Stan, but he attacked me first. He tried to kill me. So I reacted the same way. It's in our nature, kid. Don't hurt demons.”

She swallowed. “I just punched you, so are you going to-”

“I'm not going to touch you. I'm not going to hurt Pine Tree again. You're his sister, you have my word that I won't harm you.”

“So you wouldn't even try to fight back if I attacked you?” she asked.

He sighed. “I'd stop you. I'd pin you or paralyze you or something to make you stop. I'd probably be more rough about it depending about what you're doing. But I won't hurt you for no reason. I promise.”

“I don't care if it's in your nature, you're intelligent, you have self-control, you didn't have to do that! You didn't have to kill him!”

Bill finished fixing up the body and hovered back up, looking at her for a few moments. Then he said, “I didn't kill him. The fire did.”

“The fire that you caused,” she hissed.

“Actually, the TV caused it. It was going to happen anyway.”

“It's still your fault! You made it happen when it did! Stan might have gotten out otherwise! But you made it happen after he hurt you, and now he's dead and the Mystery Shack is destroyed!”

“Yep, that sums it up.”

She screamed. “Aagh, Bill, you are such a piece of shit!”

“Yeah, I've heard.”

Dipper pulled Mabel's face against him again, gently kissing her forehead. “Calm down, it'll be all right... We'll get through this together. We'll... we'll give him a nice funeral, and rebuild the Mystery Shack... I can carry on his work, I'll have the entire place dedicated to him, I won't let his memory die.”

She grasped weakly at his shirt, shoulders shaking; her emotions were getting to be too much. She knew she was going to start bawling at any moment, but she did her best to respond. “I kn-know you won't, you'll be an awesome new m-man of mystery like he was, and... and I'm so sorry this happened, and if I could, I'd tear Bill a new one for hurting you like this...”

“I am mad at him,” Dipper admitted, beginning to stroke her hair. “But he's still my partner. I still have to stay with him, he's still my master... that won't change. All I can do is just... try to move on.”

Bill rested a hand on his shoulder, and Dipper glanced over at him, brows furrowing with annoyance before he forced himself to relax. He was only going to make it harder for himself if he stayed mad at Bill.

“Do you... want to go see Stan?” Dipper asked Mabel, wanting to change the subject. Though this topic wasn't much easier. “His body is still at the morgue while the lawyers are looking at his will to see if he wants to be buried or cremated or what...”

She giggled weakly, and when he gave her a questioning look, she said, “If it's cremation, that would be very... ironic...”

He felt a pang of amusement, which seemed entirely foreign to him after the past day or so of misery. He actually chuckled. “Yeah. It would be.”

She pulled away from him, cast a hateful glance at Bill, and said, “Mom and Dad are there now, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let's go.”

“I'll warn you, Stan doesn't look good. The funeral is definitely gonna be closed casket.”

“I don't care how he looks, I just need to see him one last time.”

Dipper couldn't argue with that. “All right. Bill... we're going out. Is your body okay?”

Bill floated down to stand next to it, giving it some nudges. “Yeah, it'll be fine. But I'm gonna stay here with it, maybe catch up to you guys once I can wake it up. Shooting Star really knocked it out good.”

“Good,” she replied, massaging her knuckles.

“See you later,” Dipper said to Bill, and the two left the room.

Bill watched them go out to Dipper's car, then returned his attention to the body, lifting it up to throw onto the bed. Once he was sure it was in a comfortable position (he didn't want to possess it later only to have to suffer cramps), he headed into the Mindscape to follow the twins. Even if Dipper didn't realize it, he still wanted to be there for him.

 

One evening, a few days after the Pine family's arrival, Bill invited Dipper out on the town. Dipper didn't really want to go anywhere, he still felt hollow inside from the loss of not only Stan, but the house that had contained so many memories. Most of the stuff on the second floor (the sections that hadn't fallen anyway) had been salvaged; he even got Journal 4 back with minimal damage, which led him to suspect Bill had some influence on that. But a lot had been lost. He was lucky that his phone and his wallet had been in his pockets when the fire happened, but he lost his laptop, the remote control portion of his car keys, many books he was fond of, a good portion of his clothes... He had been able to get some of the artifacts and souvenirs from his adventures, but the smaller, more fragile items were lost in the ash and rubble.

So with thoughts about how much work he would have to do to restore his life to how it was, and what it would be like to live without his grumpy but kindhearted great uncle, he really couldn't bring himself to get excited about going out.

But Bill insisted, saying he'd drive, so Dipper could just relax. So the human agreed and got in the passenger seat, reclining it back until he was practically laying down.

“The seatbelt won't protect you like that,” Bill chuckled as he buckled in and started the car.

“I don't care,” Dipper said quietly. He felt tired. It seemed he spent most of his time since Stan's death being tired. His heart was so heavy. Mabel tried to be cheerful and optimistic, and she could make him smile, but once she was away, the happy feeling just sank back into the void. The only time he really felt all right was when he slept, where his dreams were warm and full of soft lights and colors, never forming anything in particular (at least, not that he could remember), but it was comforting. It reminded him of those few pleasant nights he was able to spend sleeping in Bill's arms, before Stan made his attempt at exorcising the demon. He wished they could return to those days.

But now, Dipper didn't curl up to sleep with Bill. He stayed on one side of the bed, and the demon left his body on the other side so it wasn't touching him, before leaving it for the Mindscape. He would first shift Dipper's dreams into those warm, pleasant ones, and then go off on his own.

Dipper hasn't tracked anyone down for payments either. He was too depressed, and though he could do it, it would lack the passion that Bill wanted. So Bill told him to just sleep and let him handle it. Once everything was back to normal and Dipper felt up to it, then they could go out together again. Bill wished that day would arrive sooner; he missed his energetic, confident, fun Pine Tree.

After a few minutes of driving, Bill reached over with a frown to rub Dipper's head, fingers combing through his messy hair. The human hasn't really been bothering with hygiene lately. He could feel oil in the strands.

“Dipper,” he said softly, and waited until the other looked at him. “I don't expect you to forgive me, but... will things ever go back to how they were?”

“I don't know,” Dipper said neutrally.

“I miss your smile, I miss that twinkle in your eyes, that cute way your voice goes up in pitch when you laugh. I miss us telling stories, and traveling together, teaching each other. I miss us working together to deliver our justice to those who deserve it. I never meant to hurt you like this, I was just so angry that day, I was pushed too far, and... I'm sorry.”

Dipper shuffled into a sitting position, slowly wrapping his arms Bill's right arm. The demon's heart leapt at the other willingly touching him. “Bill... I can't hold a grudge against you. I understand why you did it, okay? I hate that it happened, hate myself for not noticing the trap on the floor, I could have stopped him early on, and then maybe you wouldn't have gone that far, it's-”

Bill cut across him, “Not your fault. Dipper, you are not to blame for anything. It was between me and Stan. He challenged me, I fought back, I ended it. Not many humans would win such a fight. Not even you would survive if I really wanted to kill you. But...” He took Dipper's hand, “I would never try to kill you. I love you.”

Dipper hesitated, and softly said, “I love you too.”

It was the first time he had said it since the incident. Bill couldn't be more thrilled. He leaned over to kiss him, just once, quickly. He didn't want to crash, after all. But as he straightened up again, Dipper leaned in to return the kiss, and as he pulled back, gave him a smile. It was small, unsure, but it meant everything to Bill.

“So where are we going?” Dipper asked, sounding considerably more cheerful. He reached down to tug the back of his seat up higher so he was only slightly reclined back.

“Well, Pine Tree...” Bill grinned over at him, “Remember when we were in Cairo? I said I wanted a margarita. So we're going to go find a bar somewhere outside of Gravity Falls where you won't be recognized, and we're gonna drink until you're not sad anymore.”

“I'm not old enough to drink yet,” Dipper pointed out.

Bill just laughed. “Oh, little Dipper... since when has the law mattered to us?”

Dipper couldn't argue with that. He smiled a little more widely, squeezed Bill's hand more tightly, and said, “Then I want two piña coladas to start and see what happens from there.”

“One for each hand?” Bill laughed.

Dipper nodded, and then broke into song. “Let's set sail with Captain Morgan and never leave dry land.”

Bill beamed at hearing his low, dulcet singing voice. It was a little unsteady from disuse, but still beautiful, and he had to kiss the other one more time. As he pulled back, he said, “Can things be normal again?”

Dipper's expression turned more forlorn for a few moments, but he continued to smile. “I think so. I'll see how I feel after I've had some drinks.”

“Heh. All right. So, is Shooting Star doing all right?”

They talked for a while about how Mabel has been handling everything, about how she's been spending time with Pacifica for comfort, and that the Northwest had offered to help them with funds for the funeral. Since the Pines had supported her when Preston died, she was going to return the favor.

Eventually the talk died down, and Dipper merely looked out the front window as Bill drove, just letting himself relax, enjoying the small happiness he felt. After all those dismal days, he wanted to cling to this feeling. Stan wouldn't want him to sulk. Stan probably also wouldn't want him to continue associating with Bill, but... it wasn't like he had a choice in that. He had to be with Bill. Might as well enjoy his company.

“Everything will be all right, Pine Tree,” Bill said after a few moments of silence, assuming Dipper had become sad again.

Dipper leaned against him, closing his eyes and humming, opening his mind and letting the other feel his content. “Yeah. It will. Thank you.”

He will never forget what happened to Stan, and he will probably never fully forgive. But he could still be happy with Bill, if he so chose. And he wanted to be happy with him. They could have a wonderful life together, do whatever they wanted, return to doing all those things Bill had told him he missed. Dipper missed them all too, even those payments in blood that all this had started with.

After Stan's funeral, he decided. The funeral would give him the closure he needed, and then they could return to how things were before. He found himself looking forward to it.

Bill smiled, glad to hear the musings in Dipper's mind. Partly because of what he was thinking about. But mostly because the human was letting him into his mind again. That was a good sign to him. A sign of things returning to normal. Or as normal as their relationship could get, anyway.

He opened his own thoughts to the human, who responded to them with the same interest as he always has. The rest of the drive was spent in amiable silence, speaking only in their minds with emotion and images, with the soft whisper of a song on the radio, and the warm light from a setting Sun falling across their skin. And Dipper wouldn't trade this for anything.

With Bill, everything would be okay.


	36. Epilogue

The funeral for Stanley Pines took place near the end of the summer, as the first chilly winds of autumn were beginning to blow. He was laid to rest in the Gravity Falls cemetery, below a large and beautiful headstone that had been paid for by the Northwest family. It was engraved with a portrait of the man, and the writing of his name, birthday, and death-day were beautiful and elegant. Stan would probably be both touched and amused if he saw how much detail had gone into it.

The funeral had taken a while, as many different residents of the town had things they wanted to say to him and about him. Dipper and Mabel spoke about him longer than anyone else, even the reverend. Finally, they stepped aside and took places nearby as they watched the casket be slowly and carefully lowered into the ground. They didn't stop watching as the reverend said some final words, only moving when the hole was filled in with dirt.

The next several minutes was spent speaking to the other citizens, who all seemed to have encouraging and sympathetic words for them. But Dipper had Bill to rely on for support, and Mabel had Pacifica. At some point, they had become official. Dipper wasn't sure when, but he was happy that his sister had someone to look out for her.

Once most of the people had left, Dipper went to comfort Soos, who was kneeling next to the mound of fresh dirt. His hand was gently placed on it, and he was staring down.

“Are you gonna be okay, man?” Dipper asked him quietly.

“Y-yeah, dude... I'll be fine. He... he lived a good life.” Soos's voice betrayed that he had been crying. “Just... I'm gonna miss him. He... he was like my dad, you know?”

“I know.” Dipper rubbed his back soothingly. “He loved you like a son, even if he didn't really say it. And hey... now you get a chance to be a dad. You can take what he taught you and use it.”

“Yeah. I guess I can.” Soos slowly got back up, wiping his face off and fiddling with his hair; he wasn't wearing a hat today. It didn't go with his suit, but he felt naked without it.

Wanting to cheer him up, Dipper said, “Hey, once the Mystery Shack is ready to be reopened, you and Melody are gonna be the first people I hire.”

He smiled and ruffled Dipper's hair. “Heh, thanks, hambone. I can't wait.”

Dipper gave him a final pat to the back before returning to his sister. She and Pacifica were sitting on the few chairs that hadn't already been packed up and taken from the area, talking quietly to each other. Mabel perked up when her brother came closer. “Hey, Dipper! Paz has good news!”

“Oh, it's nothing really,” Pacifica laughed. Mabel prodded her, and she said, “Okay, so I'm gonna be going to Mabel's university this year.”

“Wow, really? That's awesome.” Dipper sat down next to Mabel, who smiled at him.

“Yeah, she's gonna get some kind of business-y major and take a few art-related classes on the side! Dipper, we're gonna be in college together!”

“Cool!” Dipper felt Bill sit next to him, and a moment later, the demon's arms were around him. “I'm really happy for you.”

“You ready to go, Pine Tree?” Bill asked him.

“In a minute, Bill.”

“All right.” Bill nuzzled against him, and he chuckled. “I suppose I'll be okay with sitting here and admiring how good you look in a suit. Mm... You look really good.” He kissed Dipper's neck, and tugged on his tie with his teeth.

The girls giggled, too used to Bill's antics now to be bothered by them.

Mabel was still wary around the demon, and likely will be for a long time. On her second day in Gravity Falls, she had jumped him the moment she saw him back in his human body, and had proceeded to beat him senseless while yelling at him about what he had done, and while he had struggled at first, he had realized that this would be the quickest way to just let her get her anger out, and had simply shielded his face the best he could and let her have at it. He's had worse beatings, but hers was pretty impressive. Finally she had collapsed onto his chest and cried, and Dipper had gently pulled her away. After that, she didn't touch Bill again, satisfied with the beating she had delivered, and now tolerated him as long as he was with Dipper. Bill personally had found the entire experience to be entertaining. Pain was hilarious, after all.

“We should probably leave so they can finish cleaning up,” Mabel said, gesturing to the contractors that were taking down the canopy and otherwise clearing things from the area.

“Yeah, good idea.” Pacifica stood, and they headed back to their vehicles.

They said goodbye to each other, and went their separate ways. Mabel returned to Pacifica's mansion, where she has been staying since arriving. Dipper and Bill, meanwhile, returned to the Mystery Shack. It was almost done being rebuilt. They had managed to make plans for it that looked almost the same as the old one, and they were pleased with how it was turning out so far. Really, all that was left was plumbing and wiring in some areas.

Once everything was complete, Dipper planned on gathering all the strange (and fake, he had learned long ago they needed to be fake) things he could, setting them up for display so he could resume taking people on tours. He found that he missed it. Ownership of the land had been given to him, as well as everything from Stan's bank account. It had been left to him in his will, so there had been no arguing. The least Dipper could do was continue the man's work.

It was unfortunate that the collapse of the Shack had also caused Dipper's protective enchantment to shatter, but neither he nor Bill have bothered to put it back up. The only reason Dipper had created it in the first place was just to give Stan some security about his magic use. But Stan was gone and Dipper and Bill could both take care of any intruders with little effort, so they saw no reason to waste energy sustaining a new shield.

“Kinda a bummer that this all ruined your nineteenth birthday a few days ago,” Bill commented during the drive.

Dipper chuckled. “Yeah, I wasn't even thinking about that with all this... I barely remembered to call Mabel to tell her happy birthday, and then I remembered it was mine too.”

“We should make cake later.”

“We should.”

“But you know what we should do when we get back?” Bill's hand crept up Dipper's arm. “Change into our work clothes, and go collect some payment. You promised you would after the funeral, and I can tell you've been just itching to use your magic again. What do you say?”

Dipper's irises briefly flashed blue. “I'm in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with the story to the end. Your continued support is what encouraged me to finish this. It is currently the longest fic I've ever written, and I'm really proud of this accomplishment. I do understand that the ending has not been satisfactory for some, and for that I apologize. All concerns have been noted and I will attempt to do better in future writing.  
> I do hope you've enjoyed, and thank you again for reading and commenting. I love you all. <3  
> Update: There is a sequel called Paying Recompense. If you enjoyed this, please go give it a look as well. Thanks! http://archiveofourown.org/works/4148958/chapters/9360009


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